Way
back in 1976 C. Peter Wagner had already expressed a
foundation of sand upon which his entire "apostolic" kingdom
is built. To back up his notions, he and his friends
such asJohn
Wimber,Paul
Cainand many others began to
get the cart before the horse. They tried to create
revival where there was none with unbiblical and even
heretical ideas. They imported occult ideas from false
religions into the churches, such as"slain
in the spirit"and called the results
"revival". The means they used were the
counterfeit revivals of theWord
Of Faith Movement, theVineyard
movement, theToronto
"Blessing", theBrownsville
"Outpouring"and on down the
line to latestTodd
Bentley "Lakeland Revival". The proof that
the means have all been unjustifiable is in the unjustifiable
ends. Lakeland has now come to an apparent abrupt end
due to false healing and dead raising claims, many false
teachings, a false "transferable" anointing, and sexual
misconduct. You can read about these things in ourTodd
Bentleysection. Yet the
leadership of theNew
Apostolic Reformationhas not
even been slowed by yet another bad end brought about by the
self-destruction of the means. In the latest ElijahList
the false prophets are prophesying even greater revivals to
come.
There
is a new phenomenon especially among some island churches
where handkerchiefs are being handed around a congregation
claiming that they have an anointing that can cause people to
be healed and other miraculous things happen to them. The
problem with this idea is especially evident in two things:
(1) that this can and is being considered by many to be
Christian magic and (2) that it is being taught as being
something that should be a normal part of the Christian
experience. It is taught that if you have faith you will
believe in touching the handkerchief that you will be healed,
freed from demons, or get a special anointing. But faith
is not proven by signs and wonders.
This
chart should be of grave interest to those in YWAM and those
supporting YWAM and its agenda with the IPM or "First
Nations" movement led by people like Daniel Kikawa (Perpetuated
In Righteousness),
Don Richardson (Eternity
in Their Hearts:Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True
God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World),
John Dawson (Taking
Our Cities for God: How to Break Spiritual Strongholds),
Richard Twiss (One
Church, Many Tribes : Following Jesus the Way God Made You),
Terry LeBlanc (Creating
Christian Indians: Native Clergy in the Presbyterian Church)
and many others. You will notice a very close
comparison in this chart between false religion and
so-called "Christian" leaders. Please read whatYWAM,The
Emerging Chuch,
theWCGPand
others are teaching that are almost exactly what the Baha'i
teach.
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Three
Fallacies Of Third Wave Spiritual Warfare Teachings by Sandy
Simpson
When so-called Christians employ Biblical pagan
methods to rid themselves of demons, they end up giving the
enemy an opportunity to deceive them and a foothold in their
lives. When Israel disobeyed the Lord's command to
come down to Jerusalem and worship Him in the temple under
the Law, and instead chose to set up altars in the high
places, the result was that they ended up worshiping
demons. They thought they were worshiping God, but
ended up worshiping Baal and Ashtoreth. You cannot
live a life glorifying to the Lord unless you obey Him.
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The Duties of Christian
Leadership by Sandy Simpson
Christians, and especially Christian leadership, are
called to be salt and light in a dark world.
Matt. 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the
earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it
be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the
light of the world.A city on a hill
cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your
light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.
When the Lord tells us to be salt and light, He
states both the positive and the negative. That is the
way with all Scripture. We can’t just take the positive
and be done with the subject. We have to consider all
the ramifications of being salt and light. Salt is used
to season food and make it taste good. It was and still
is used as a preservative. In the same way Christians
are to be salt in the world. Without the witness of
Christ, without standing for the truth, life is ultimately
tasteless and rotten. Anyone here who was a sinner for
any length of time without the Savior knows what I am talking
about. But the flip side is that salt can lose its
saltiness. Christians can lose their saltiness by
diluting the Gospel message to the point where it is
useless. Let me give you an example of a washed out
Gospel often preached in churches today.
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Smack Dab in the Middle of the Apostasy by Sandy Simpson
'Antichrist'
No More: Evangelicals Praise Pope Most are unreserved in their
praise on political, social, and even theological matters,
but critique of papacy remains. Compiled by Ted Olsen, 04/05/2005
04:30 p.m.
Among the names mentioned, who praise the Pope in
this article, were "Evangelical" leaders such as:Evangelical
Episcopalian Fred Barnes; Wheaton College's Mark Noll;
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod President Gerald B.
Kieschnick; National Association of Evangelicals President
Ted Haggard; Focus on the Family President James Dobson;
Charles Colson who organized the evangelical side of the
Evangelicals and Catholics Together; Paige Patterson,
President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary;
Presbyterian Church in America Pastor-brothers David and Tim
Bayly; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al
Mohler; Dallas Theological Seminary President Mark Bailey;
Credenda Agenda Editor Douglas Wilson; and Evangelical
Alliance, the United Kingdom's version of the stateside
National Association of Evangelicals.
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Marriage A
Biblical Illustration Of Our Faith Commitment To Jesus Christ
For Salvation by Sandy Simpson
Marriage as a metaphor for our
relationship to Jesus Christ.
Marriage is used as a metaphor for our
relationship to God many times in the Bible. Let's
look at the picture God wants His people to see about their
relationship to Him, and His relationship to them.
TI have been challenged
lately to think again about what the Gospel message is all
about. This has come as a result of hearing what I
considerto be, at the very least, "gospel lite" and at the
most no gospel at all being presented by a number of
neo-evangelicals, Third Wavers and outrightheretics. The
interesting thing is that many seem to be preaching the
same message. What is most intriguing is that
false teachers like Benny Hinn, ecumenicals, and even some
preachers I would considerto be orthodox in their theology are
preaching a "gospel" that is very similar.The question is:
Is this new gospel message really the Gospel at all?
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Leviathan by Sandy Simpson
This creature that existed, and may yet exist,
is used as a description of themightand
power of the enemy.
Isaiah 27:1In that day theLORDwill
punishLeviathanthe
fleeing serpent,WithHis
fierce and great and mighty sword, EvenLeviathanthe
twisted serpent; And He will kill thedragonwholivesin
the sea. (NASB)
Speaking of the “day of the
Lord”, when the Lord comes back again to rule and judge the
earth, Isaiah says that the Lord will punish Leviathan the
dragon.Satan is
likened to leviathan, a serpent, and he is said to live in
the sea.
Revelation 13:1Andthe dragon stood on the
sand of the seashore.Then I saw
a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and
seven heads, and on his hornswereten
diadems, and on his headswereblasphemous
names. (NASB)
Again the dragon comes out of the
sea, which is symbolic of the nations of the world, but
perhaps is also tied to a literal meaning.He
has multiple heads which are symbolic of the heads of the
nations of the end times, but he is also said to have
multiple heads before the symbolism of the nations of the
revived Babylon come into being, as recorded in Ps. 74:14
and Job.
Many Christians today (having allowed themselves to be
diapraxed by false teachers on TV, in books, in seminars and
on tape) have begun to accept a mixture of Pre Mil and Post
Mil doctrines. Many claim they still hold to a Pre
Trib Rapture (or another Pre Mil scenario) and at the same
time would claim that Christians are in a great end times
revival, that "Transformation" is taking place all over the
world, and that our mandate is to retake dominion over the
whole world including its businesses, social agendas and
political arenas (a Post Mil scenario). But what many
"Christians" today do not realize is: the mixture
they have accepted is oxymoronic.
There are two kingdoms being taught in many
churches today. Teaching about one of the kingdoms is on the
decline while the other is being promoted all over the
place. I am warning Christians that they need to check
out who is using the word "kingdom", the books they have
been reading and recommend on building "the kingdom", the
people they have been hanging out with at conferences, and
what they mean by "the kingdom".
There are so many people who claim to be
Christians today, claiming that they are God.Not just a “little god” but God Almighty.I hate to tell them but there is only one God/man who
could ever claim that and His name is Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:4-6
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is
in the world.They are from the world and
therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the
world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever
knows God listens to us; butwhoever is
not from God does not listen to us.This
is how we recognize the Spirit {Or spirit} of truth and the
spirit of falsehood. The reason why false teachers, who deny one or more
of the core doctrines of the Faith, gain so many followers is
that they are saying what the world wants to hear. They
organize their churches so that they cater to unbelievers, and
once non Christians come in they are fed a diet devoid of the
essential nutrition of the Gospel and sound doctrine.
False teachers conduct surveys to see what non-believers are
looking for in a "church" and then provide those things.
False teachers claim they are bringing people into the Kingdom
when in fact they are bringing them out of the world and back
into the world, the only difference now being that they are
spending their money in support of some apostate leader and/or
group.
The NAR proponents claim to be foundational Apostles to
the modern church. This claim is exactly what Paul warned
the Church about regarding false apostles. The term "false
apostles" is used only once in the Bible in 2 Cor. 11:13.
False apostles are identified as those who claim they areequalwith
the the foundational Apostles. The NAR proponents go even
further! They claim to beGREATERthan
the original Apostles.
Jude 1:1-2 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ
and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who
are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy,
peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude was the brother
of Jesus Christ. But it is significant that he calls himself
the brother of James. Jude wants everyone to know that,
though he is a half-brother of Jesus Christ through his
mother Mary, he considers himself to be a servant of Jesus.
I’m sure there were those who tried to idolize him for being
the brother of Jesus Christ. If he had the character of some
of the current large crop of false teachers, he would have
written “Jude, the brother of Jesus Christ.” I’m sure if
some of these modern heretics could trace their roots back
to Christ, they would use that information to get support
for themselves and power over people. But Jude does just the
opposite. He calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. He
is addressing this letter to those who have been called, and
who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. So
he is addressing this letter to Christians. God has called
every true believer.
You can get more information here. A Word of Encouragement from Paul
Run the Race, Win the Prize by Sandy
Simpson
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a
Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power
that enables him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body. Jesus Christ is coming again. We
are citizens of heaven, not this earth, and Jesus will come
to take us to our homeland. So true believers eagerly
await His coming, unlike those who oppose the cross of
Christ who think they must take dominion over the earth or
laugh at the idea of the Rapture. There are many of
them today. We know that when Jesus comes, by His
power, He will bring everything under His control. We
are not called to do that as the Church. Jesus will do
that when He comes, and when He comes we will be changed and
receive our everlasting bodies that will never wear out.
1 Cor. 15:51-57 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not
all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we
will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with
the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the
perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the
mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today,
in
a majority of churches, we see the result of the
seeker-friendly,"purpose-driven", church growth,
Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation methods and
teachings and their product I am
calling"Entertainment-style Christianity" (ESC).
But ESC churches are not only missing out on the cutting
edge of true Christianity, but areheading down the road
to apostasy.
True
biblical
Christianity is "interactive". Those in ESC are
taughtto be spectators at mega-church entertainment
events. They are not taught the Bible but rather
to be enamored with the oratoricalskills of the
preacher, and to not dare question anything that is
shoved down the throats of the "laity" by the ruling
"anointed"elite. They are treated to a circus
atmosphere including wild CCM music with people flailing
around and acting like they are on drugs, topreachers
who tell endless stories about themselves and joke about
everything while actually making profundity mundane, to
hula dancing,to banners and marching in the church and
around it, to the blowing of shofars, to slain in the
spirit and wild manifestations. Theirsears are
tickled by guest speakers who make up sermons out of
their own imaginations instead of the written
Word. They are entertainedwith gold dust, gold
fillings, "angel" feathers, "angel" footprints, drunk in
the spirit antics, and during these displays they can go
outand get a latte and a snack at the church snack
bar. They come into these mega churches and leave
without being personally challengedother than with tired
worldly psychology, and without anyone being able to
find out what they are doing in their private
lives. A smallpercentage attend "cell groups"
where they are diapraxed into consensus instead of
challenged to be Bereans and think and act
forthemselves. They live like the world during the
week, then come to church where the world is not only
welcomed but accommodated.
Commentators
seem to think that this section of Habakkuk was addressing
theCeasarsand
their drunken desire for power.Seems
these two things often go together.
Those
who love drunk in the spirit are no exception.They
are trying to get others to share in their debauchery and
the false hope of an end-times worldwide revival,
currently through the Saturate 2020 events.Though
these were two of the hereticaldistinctivesof
the New Order of the Latter Rain, these ideas are nothing
new.The righteous
continue to live by faith, while the proud boast in their
drunken state.
Saturate 2020 is another in a long line of
Latter Rain revivals which do not meet the criteria of a
Biblical revival at all (Acts 3:19). The Toronto
“Blessing” and Brownsville “Revival” both came into towns
all over the world with the promise that people were getting
saved and nothing weird was going on at their
meetings. This was always a lie as the true
Gospel was not preached but instead people were invited
forward to have hands laid on them in order to transfer an
impartation. Meanwhile false doctrines were laid
down in order to get people involved in churches like Bethel
Church in Redding, CA. We are warned in Scripture
about this. Galatians
2:4 But it was because of the false
brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in
to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ
Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.
2 Peter
2:1 But false prophets also arose among the
people, just as there will also be false teachers among
you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing
swift destruction upon themselves.
The fact that some formerly Biblical churches have joined
this circus is a testament to their lack of teaching
discernment. Some of these denominations were
warned repeatedly about the Latter Rain, Word of Faith and
the New Apostolic Reformation yet they apparently wanted to
remain “willfully ignorant”. The people
advertised as being involved with this latest “revival” are
almost all associated with Bethel in some way and promoters
of what they teach. This is not a true Biblical
revival but rather a revival of the occult and New Age among
Christians. This meeting is actually hurting the
cause of Christ and will not have any real beneficial effect
on the culture of California, which has turned decidedly
evil for decades. These Dominionists
will not be saving the planet, but are rather setting people
up for the coming antichrist. Nor will they rid
the world of coronavirus, but rather likely add to it.
Should biblical Christian churches be
Christ-centered (Christocentric)? Should the doctrines
of the Father (Patriology) and the Holy Spirit (Pnematology)
also be equally emphasized? Can a church be
Patriocentric or Pnemacentric and be biblical?
The answer to these questions are quite simple from
a biblical perspective. There have been charges leveled
at some movements such as the Pietist Movement in Germany and
other movements that they place too much emphasis on Christ to
the exclusion of the Father and the Holy Spirit. This
may be true to a certain degree. The doctrines of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be taught with equal emphasis
so that Christians will know what they believe.
But should a church be Patriocentric or
Pnemacentric? No. For instance, there are far too
many churches today, having been influenced by
hyper-Pentecostalism and the Latter Rain, that are
Pnemacentric. They spend most of their time focusing on
the Holy Spirit to the exclusion of preaching the Gospel
while, in fact, they don't even have a biblical doctrine of
the Holy Spirit. I believe that because classic
Evangelicals, to a certain degree, dropped the ball in
defining the Person and role of the Holy Spirit it gave an
opening to Third Wavers to step in with their erroneous ideas
of Pnematology.
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The
Letter to Laodicea Is
a Warning to the TRUE Church Today by Sandy Simpson
Rev. 3:14-22
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou
mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Much has been made of this passage, using it to point out
what is happening today in the apostate churches around
the world. It is true that they believe they are
rich in spiritual things when they are very poor. It
can be applied in one sense to theWord
of Faithmovement.
It is true that the "River" movement of Latter Rain
teachings do think they are hot when actually they are
cold.
But this letter to the end times church
of Laodicea is actually talking to biblical Christians who
are born again. The apostate movements of theLatter
Rain,Third
Wave,Toronto
"Blessing",Vineyard,Brownsville
"Outpouring",Word
of Faith,New
Apostolic Reformation,World
Gathering on Indigenous People,Manifest
Sons of God,Seeker
Friendly,Church
Growth,Emerging
Churchand many others have already
had their lampstands removed (Rev. 2:5) because of their
apostasy and have already been spit out of the Lord's mouth
(Rev. 3:16). We can know this because of what the
Bible says about those who teach false doctrines (1 Tim.
6:3-5, 2 Tim. 4:3) and make false prophecies (1 John 4:1).
These false churches, false movements and false brethren
(Gal. 2:4) are already under the judgment of the warnings of
theseven
letters, as all but two of the original first century
churches are today (only the two who Jesus did not warn
still survive today). Therefore theletters
to the churchesapply to those
churches who have not had their lampstands removed and been
spit out of the mouth of God because of heresy and false
prophesy. So the warning to the true biblical churches
today remains. Why is this warning significant to us?
It
is significant because, by in large, it isthe
true
Church today that has allowed the movements mentioned
above to infiltrate and take over the agenda for what is
called "Christianity" today.
In
Titus 1:6-11 Paul tells Titus to appoint
"overseers" in the churches. The word
"overseer" isepiskoposin
Greek
and means bishop, curator, superintendent,
guardian, watchman. Overseers are to be
shepherds to the sheep, watchmen, guardians.
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You can get more information here. Jesus
Cares for You by Sandy Simpson
The
story
of the feeding of the 5000 is found in all the gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. When something is repeated in
the Bible it means that it is important and is something we
must try to understand. There is often a deeper meaning in
sentences or stories that are repeated.
In
this same story repeated in Mark 6:34 it says:
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on
them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he
began teaching them many things."
One of the main things that Jesus is... is compassionate. He
cares for His people. He was compassionate then and He is
still compassionate today. Jesus came and saw the needs of the
people. So He did two things. He met their physical need of
hunger for bread, and He also met their spiritual hunger for
the bread of life. As Jesus told us in John ... He is the
bread of life. The Bible, the Word of God, being the word of
the Father and the Son, is also the bread of life. Jesus
is the living example of the Word as it also says in John "The
Word was made flesh and lived among us".
This
paper
exposes what General Boykin has been doing in Calvary Chapels
and his associations.
He
isGrand Chancellor of the
Vatican's Jesuitical "Knights of Malta", an ecumenical
society under the leadership of Rome where Catholics,
Protestants and a plethora of others unite in what cannot be
a unity of the Faith.
We just finished as study in the book of Jonah in our
Bible study groups. As we studied through that true
story I became aware of an application for Church leaders
today.
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What Does The Bible Teach About "Synergy"?
by Sandy Simpson
Synergy is also a concept being adapted and taught today
as a major tenet of the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation
(NAR) movement. Dutch Sheets was one of the first to
introduce this concept to that movement back in the National
School of the Prophets - Mobilizing the Prophetic Office
Conference at Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado
Springs, CO on May 12, 2002.
HUMOR: Time for a rewrite of the old
hymns. In this day and age of Third Wave revival
movements and Word-Faith dominion, the old hymns just aren't
cutting it anymore. Not only are they old fashioned
musically, but the lyrics are, for the most part,
particularly depressing. They talk of sin, death,
repentance, the cross, the blood of Jesus and a whole host
of other disgusting subjects. There are also too many
lyrics in them, frankly, which takes away from the "worship"
atmosphere. Repetitiveness is what we need, not dead
doctrinal concepts. The old hymns are just too biblical.
Give us a beat to move our feet, not concepts to move our
hearts and minds!
Here is a list of some hymns that could be
"upgraded" to meet the criteria of the Third Wave,
Word-Faith, Latter Rain, Manifest Sons Of God, New Apostolic
Reformation. This list is by no means complete.
If you don't recognize the hymns mentioned perhaps it would
be worth your time to go back and read them, then compare
what they say to the new doctrines.
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for further information. Almost
Saved by Sandy Simpson
“To be almost saved is to be totally lost.”
– Adrian Rogers
There are many so-called
“Christians” today who are clearly “almost saved” by their
testimonies and/or actions.But to be
“almost saved” is to be completely lost.A
person who is drowning and almost saved drowns.A
woman who is almost pregnant is not pregnant.King Agrippa
said, “You are almost persuading me to be a Christian (Acts
26:28)” but being almost persuaded is not enough to be
saved.
The word “almost” means “very nearly”, “not
quite.” In light of this we may conclude that to come close
to the target, or “almost” hit it, means to completely miss
the mark. (Shalem Evangelical
Church Bush Hall Yard Gap, St. Michael)
"Silence
the noise of your songs" by Sandy Simpson, 5/26/19
Amos 5:21-27 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though
you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I
will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace
offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of
your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
“But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like
an ever-flowing stream. Did you present Me with sacrifices and
grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of
Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun,
your images, the star of your gods which you made for
yourselves. Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond
Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. When
I first reread this passage in Amos, a few things struck
me. First of all the Lord is bringing judgment on Israel
for carrying on religious ceremony without true dedication to
the Lord. They sing songs and present their offerings
while harboring idols. I was reminded of how the Lord
must view the heretical apostate mega church celebrations of
today. There is a lot of pomp and circumstance, yet
little or no obedience to the Word of God. The Lord does
not look favorably upon worship of that type, no matter the
hype, no matter the noise, no matter the show. He
actually “hates” it.
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How To Find A Good Church by Sandy Simpson, 2003
Here’s how to find a good church. What
you need to find is a church that not only has orthodox
doctrinal statements but teaches, both explicitly and
implicitly, in line with the core doctrines of the
Faith. These are Bible-believing Christ-centered
churches that are balanced in their theology. Be sure to
test all churches before you become involved. It is
acceptable to get involved with a house church or Bible study
as long as there is someone who has the gift of teaching there
to lead the study of God’s Word.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
The Christian life is not one to be lived
alone. Trust me; I have sympathy for those who have been
spiritually injured by false churches, false prophets, false
teachers and false apostles. It is often a long road
back from the diaprax of heresy. But to undo the
brainwashing you will need help, especially from those who are
already ahead of you on your journey back. The first
century church was known for the following:
Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.
This is a good gauge to tell if you are
involved in an effective assembly of believers, no matter how
small. Remember that the first century churches were in
homes. In my experience smaller churches are much better
at doing the above and more. Avoid mega churches.
This book was written by my mother and is about
my family's experience as missionaries in Micronesia.
Juanita went to be with the Lord in August of 2018. This
book has been a blessing to many people around the world and I
want to share it with you. - Sandy Simpson
This is the story of a young woman
who goes to the ends of the Earth with her pastor
husband and two small children. While describing the
hardships of living in a remote village on a remote
Pacific Island in the 60's, it also gives us a vision of
the joy the family experienced as well. The heart of the
book is the story of how the author survives the death
of her husband and goes on to serve God and the
Micronesian people in her own right.This book reveals a
woman of great faith and courage. In addition, the book is
well written and a pleasure to read.Having
met the author, I will add that there are thousands of
people throughout Micronesia who love her and who have
benefited by her faithfulness and commitment over the
years. Read the book and get to know this wonderful
woman. Review by Richard
D.
Shewman on Amazon.
Deliverance! A Biblical Guide To
Freedom from "Another Spirit" The Possible
Consequence of the Unbiblical Practice of "Slain In the
Spirit" by Sandy Simpson
In order to understand where the modern fusion
called “Dominioism” comes
from, I want to first give you definitions of Kingdom
Now, Dominionism
and Reconstructionism.
Dominionism
is sparsely defined as follows:
“Dominion Theology (also known as Dominionism)
is a group of Christian political ideologies that seek
to institute a nation governed by Christians based on
their personal understandings of biblical law. Extents
of rule and ways of achieving governing authority are
varied. For example, Dominion Theology can include theonomy, but does not
necessarily involve advocating Mosaic law as the basis
of government. The label is applied primarily toward
groups of Protestants in the United States.” [1]
It is more closely defined this way:
“Dominionism, or
Christian Dominionism
is a term coined by social scientists and popularized by
journalists to refer to a subset of American
Christianity that is conservative, politically active,
and believes that Christians should, and eventually
will, take control of the government. The term is
sometimes used as a “catch-all” by bloggers to describe
any politically active Christian, but not every
conservative, politically minded Christian is a Dominionist. Christian Dominionists believe that God
desires Christians to rise to power through civil
systems so that His Word might then govern the nation.
The belief that “America is a Christian nation” is
sometimes called “soft dominionism”;
the idea that God wants only Christians to hold
government office and run the country according to
biblical law is called “hard dominionism.” [2]
“Hard Dominioism”
as it is called in the above definition, is what C. Peter
Wagner (deceased) of the New Apostolic Reformation (a term
he coined) have been advocating, following the teachings
of the New Order of the Latter Rain and Reformed Theology
“Reconstructionism”.
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Maturity Training by Sandy Simpson
Heb. 5:14 But
solid food is for the MATURE, who by constant use have
trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
At the core of
maturity in Christ is the issue of training to be able
to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong.
But in today’s churches this issue has not only been
downplayed, but actually swept aside.
I run a website and
get hundreds of emails every week. Since the website
deals with apologetics against false teachers and false
prophets, about half the email I receive is blasting me
for even bringing up the issue. These emails are from
“Christians” who claim I am not “anointed”, don’t
understand the work of the Holy Spirit, etc. I am forced
to remind them of Hebrews 5 and Ephesians 4 and the
biblical definition of maturity in Christ. Maturity is
not defined as following dynamic speakers, running after
people who claim the ability to perform signs and
wonders, those with wealth, charismatic teachers with
large numbers of followers, those with name recognition,
and prophets who make wild prophecies. It is defined
simply as training ourselves to know the difference
between good and evil.
Where do Christians
get solid food? From voices in their heads, intuition,
imaginations, flights of fancy, signs, wonders? No.
Solid food is consumed by feeding on the meat of the
written Word of God.
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Bill Johnson Quotes by Sandy Simpson
This article is about the use of invective
while attempting to do apologetics or teaching
discernment. Invective is defined as a noun: insulting,
abusive, or highly critical language ie. "he let out a stream
of invective". I admit to using invective at times in
the past. My goal is to stop that practice and focus on
the facts, not attack an individual’s ability to
comprehend.
In the case of Christians, the first thing to
consider when doing apologetics is our mandate to reconcile
people to Christ, no matter who they are.
2 Cor. 5:18-21 Now all these things are from
God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us
the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word
of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you
on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
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Go here for
further information. Ten Questions For those who Claim the "Supreme Beings" of the Nations are
the True God
by Sandy Simpson
I have some questions for those of the World
Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) adherents
such as Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss (deceased),
Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman, Aloha KeAkua, YWAM as well as many in the
Emergent Church (EC) ... the questions arise from their
claim that the "supreme beings" of the nations are all the
True God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
You can read more on this subject in our book "Idolatry In Their Hearts" or in the WCGIP
section of my site.
My main
question for them is this: When did ANY of the Patriarchs
and Prophets in the Old Testament and the Apostles or Jesus
Christ in the New Testament EVER claim that the "supreme
beings" of the nations were Elohim/YHWH,
the one True God? Let's look at some examples in the
form of questions and you can check out the source links as
well.
10 Questions
is available is now available in booklet format. You
can order here or at Lighthouse Trails here.
$1.95
per copy, bulk orders get a discount.
Go here
for further information. Real Revival by Sandy Simpson
Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return,
so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord;
There has been so much hype of "revival" in
our modern day that it is easy to forget the true biblical
criteria and definition of revival. Revival cannot be
brought about by signs and wonders or "laying" on of hands
to transfer apostolic or prophetic "anointings". In fact
there is no such thing in the Bible.The Biblical criterion
for revival has, as a precondition, repentance. The word
"refreshing" is also defined as "revive".
I received a letter from Peter Popoff. This
infamous televangelist, in the past, was found to be
guilty of wearing an earpiece so that his accomplices in
his sound booth could feed him personal information on
people in his audience while he was claiming to get
personal messages directly from God. This letter
proves that, not only is he back as a regular on TV, he is
also back to his old tricks.
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Go here for further
information. Occult Practices in the
Churches How the occult has been fully
integrated into many Christian lives and fellowships by Sandy Simpson
The Bible is quite clear about occult
practices.Neither Israel nor the Church
is to have anything to do with the way the world tries to gain
secret knowledge.The Gnostics were and
are known for promoting new revelation that is either loosely
tied to Scripture taken out ofcontext or not at all.The
Israelites seeking information from the dead or in omens were
judged harshly by the Lord who had warned them numerous times
to stay away from that stuff.
Yet due to the influences of
heretical teachers in the New Apostolic Reformation, Word of
Faith, Emergent Church, and the New
Age many have been successful in getting lots of churches and
denominations into occult practices that have been thinly
disguised as “Christian�?.Many of those
who follow these people, I’m sure, have
no idea how far they have strayed into the occult.
First I want to give the dictionary
definitions and then Biblical warnings against these
practices.Then I will give examples in
the churches taken mainly from the ElijahList
e-newsletter.
List of Practices Detestable To God
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 “When you
enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall
not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son
or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses
divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who
interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell,
or a medium, or a spiritist,
or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these
things is detestable to the Lord; and
because of these detestable things
the Lord your God will drive them out before you.
Isaiah
8:19When
they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and
mutter,�? should not a peopleconsult
their God?Should
theyconsultthe dead on behalf of the
living?
Using
the
above list from Deuteronomy and Isaiah, let’s take a look at
each individual practice.
New
Important Book! Dominionism! How Unbiblical Action Can Change The
Churches by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp & Sandy
Simpson
Preface
By Sandy Simpson
The title and cover art of this work are a play
off of the book by C. Peter Wagner entitled “"Dominion! How
Kingdom Action Can Change The World". In contrast to
this specious claim we have titled this book “Dominionism! How
Unbiblical Action Can Change The Churches�?. We think
that is far more in keeping with what we will present in this
series of articles and essays on the subject of Kingdom
Now/Dominionism.
Indeed, many churches have already been changed
by accepting the false teachings that constitute
Dominionism. This started decades ago under Reformed
Reconstrucionism and Latter Rain theology, but even before
that in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The attempt of
Constantine to protect Christians from being persecuted, since
he claimed he had become one of them, turned out to begin a
journey in syncretism and Dominion. It wasn’t long
before corrupt church officials began to try to seize power
all over Europe and beyond as the “Holy Roman Empire�?.
The Reformation itself was a reaction to the lengths to which
the RCC had gone to take control over the Scriptures, the
nations, the kingdoms, and the people for financial
gain. They sold indulgences, promising those who came up
with enough money a much shorter time in Purgatory.
Those same ploys are being used today on what has been loosely
called “Christian television�? by the sale of trinkets and
promises of healing, financial gain and even salvation.
These ideas all coalesce in Dominionism.
If it were true that the Church needs to take over the planet,
then we would be seeing the unstoppable plans of God’s
physical Kingdom unfolding. But we do not. All we
see are failed prophecies, empty edicts and declarations
coming from false apostles and false prophets. They love
to fool Christians with talk of the “kingdom�? when it is
clear they are talking about a different “kingdom�?; a Kingdom
Now not a Kingdom come. Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy
Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven�?. The implication is that we are to be about
building His spiritual Kingdom while praying for and expecting
His physical Kingdom to come. The only way we can do
that is to continue in the Great Commission till He comes, not
attempt to rule where God has not given the Church the
authority to rule. Jesus will do that when He returns.
If we go off on the tangent the Dominionists want us to go, we
will not only miss out on the blessings of His Kingdom to
come, but may well be deserving of judgment.
This book is online and available as a download
at this time for $15. The
printed books are now here! They are $20.
each plus s/h
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further information.
Seeds, Soil & Fruit by Sandy Simpson
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the world,
and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The
weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows
them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age,
and the harvesters are angels. Matthew 7:17 Likewise every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Original sin is the bad seed in everyone.
We all start with a bad seed.
Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand
it? Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered
the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this
way death came to all men, because all sinned
We need to have the bad seed destroyed and
replaced with good seed.
Gal. 5:24 Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. Rom. 6:6 For we know that our old
self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to
sin 1 Pet. 1:23 For you have been born again,
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through
the living and enduring word of God.
The good seed is the Word, the Gospel.
Luke 8:11 "This is the meaning of the
parable: The seed is the word of God. 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will
continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he
cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Bad seeds are from the enemy and are full of
false doctrine and a false gospel.
Matt. 13:38-39 The field is the world,
and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The
weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows
them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age,
and the harvesters are angels.
This subject is one so serious that I do it
with great fear and trepidation. Nonetheless, because I get so
many e-mails accusing me and other Bereans of blasphemy, among
other serious charges, I felt it was necessary to clear up
some issues on this topic. Because of my stand for the truth
of God's Word juxtaposed against all the false teaching that
is going on today, I think it is important to do a quick study
on what blasphemy is actually all about from a biblical
standpoint. There are many references to blasphemy in
the Bible and from them we can find out how and why that term
was used.
You will see that the word "blasphemy" in the
Scriptures is the very definition of what the false teachers
and false prophets are doing today!
This is a name I came up with for people
attending and teaching at Oral Roberts University in the
70s. Even back then I had come to realize that their way
of representing Christianity was not in line with the
Scriptures. At that time I didn’t know that Oral Roberts
was carrying on the Word of Faith traditions of New Thought
practitioners such as Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Essex
Kenyan, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuler, and many other
false teachers of the time. Though I didn’t know
anything about Word of Faith or New Thought then I knew that
the way they were representing Christianity was just not right
somehow. Their desire to portray Christians as rich,
beautiful, healthy, perfect, and virtually sinless (holiness)
went directly against the example of Jesus, the Apostles and
the early church.
The book by C.S. Lewis called "Screwtape
Letters" was a clever idea in exposing a number of tactics of
the enemy. Those principles are still at work today in
many churches. Following is a list of some of the things
the enemy wants to see in churches and Christians in order to
bring them down.
I was driving along and noticing that spring
has sprung here in North Carolina. One of the first trees to
bloom is the Bradford Pear. I began to notice how that tree
has proliferated almost everywhere and then my wife looked up
the information on this tree on the web. As she began to read
the facts about this tree and its proliferation I began to see
an allegorical parallel to what is going on in much of
Christendom. But before I get into what the Bradford Pear can
show us about the churches, I need to present the facts about
the tree.
Matt.
6:9-13 This, then, is how you should pray: "Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom
come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
This model prayer
that Jesus taught the disciples to pray contains many
important precepts. It should probably be called "The
Disciple's Prayer". It starts with a very important
concept in the first verse.
The new Universalists are not as vocal about
their Universalism ideas but are far more deadly to the
Church as they are not rejected like classic Universalists
were decades ago. The new Universalists would include
Emerging Church leaders like Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet,
Spencer Burke, Alan Jones and others like Wycliffe, Society
of Biblical Literature, World Christian Gathering of
Indigenous Peoples, Richard Twiss, Daniel Kikawa, Terry
LeBlanc, Rick Warren, Henry Nowen, YWAM, Tony Campolo,
Robert Schuller, George Otis Jr., and even Billy Graham.
I admit that I am very
skeptical about the future of discernment and apologetics
ministries. I don't see the next generation coming up to
replace those who have stood for the truth for so long.
Fortunately many apologists have gone to be with the Lord but
who will replace them? I don't see replacements coming up who
will take the place of those who have been fighting the fight
the years. I run a web site where I collect articles and
materials from all over the world and present them in a sort
of Reader's Digest format so that people can come to one place
to get the latest information on heresies in the churches as
well as research past ones. What I've seen in the last couple
of years is that the production of regular materials is
declining to the point where it's becoming difficult to find
one article for my site to post every day. Of course I write
my own articles but don't have enough time to write an article
on a daily basis. I am very concerned because of the tsunami
of false ideas from the enemy in the churches. At the same
time, unfortunately, I see a lot of younger people who don't
even recognize anymore that something is wrong.
Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
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Church History & The Core
Doctrines by Sandy Simpson
This 4-DVD set is a combination of a condensed
study on Church History and the Discernment Toolkit series which
deals with the core doctrines of the Church and how to use them
to discern error. The Church History DVD takes a different
approach to Church History in that it does not celebrate the
Catholic Church but rather exposes it as false
Christianity. It covers World religions, false
Christianity and finally a study of the true remnant Church
through history following the story of the many martyrs who
stood up for true Biblical faith.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (KJV)
This is both an incredible source of hope
for Christians who are downtrodden, and a source of
escalating heresy in many churches.It is critical that we
understand what Paul was talking about when he wrote the
phrase “weight of glory�?.Jacob Prasch has repeated this
phrase in his teachings over the years … “A text, out of
context, in isolation from co-text is always a pre-text."A
huge problem today is that individuals and movements tend to
yank verses out of their context and build a cult of heresy
around them.This is called eisegesis or plugging your own
ideas into the Scriptures instead of exegesis, gaining
understanding and interpretation of the Bible by studying it
in context and in the scope of the whole written Word.
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information. Did God Put "Eternity In Their Hearts" or "The World In Their Hearts"? by Sandy Simpson
In the introduction to Mike Oppenheimer's
and my book "Idolatry In Thier Hearts" I exposed the fact
that Don Richardson pulled the phrase "Eternity In Thier
Hearts" to use as his book title from it's context in Ecc.
3:11. He did this to support his thesis, which
actually contradicts the second part of that verse, where it
states that man cannot fathom what God has done. Richardson,
rather, sets forth what has become the foundation for the
false teachings of the WCGIP, YWAM, a number of Bible
translation societies and the Emerging Church ... the
propostion that men from Gentile cultures have always been
seeking God and that Gentile cultures were already
worshipping the true God before missionaries came with the
Gospel.
But as I further investigated this verse I
found that Richardson even ignored the true meaning of the
FIRST half of the verse in favor of a few translations that
use the phrase "eternity in their hearts".
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further information.
Christians who “turn away�? by Sandy Simpson
Jeremiah 3:10-11 And yet for all this
her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her
whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. And the LORD said
unto me, “The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more
than treacherous Judah.�? (KJV) Israel had turned away from
the Lord and had gone after the gods of Canaan, namely
Baal and Asherah. Because Israel had
prostituted herself with false gods in worshipping the
polytheistic gods that started at Babel, God had declared He
was divorcing Israel and would send them into exile until they
again returned to the true God. But Judah prided itself in
doing what God had commended as they had Jerusalem and the
Temple. They disdained Israel for setting up altars to
Baal and Asherah poles on high hills. Yet God was not
fooled by Judah’s pretence. In the KJV it says they were
not worshipping God with their whole heart but
“feignedly�?.
2 Cor. 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle
the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we
speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
There are many false teachers on TV these days
who peddle the word of God for profit. They make
promises of healing that do not come true by claiming if they
are given a financial gift the person will receive healing and
riches. When what they promised does not happen the
person is blamed that they did not have enough faith. This
often destroys the faith of people who fall into the traps of
these snake oil salesmen. I have no problem with people
charging for their materials if they cost to be produced, even
though it is hoped that when a person cannot afford to pay for
books and DVDs they will receive them free of charge.
But the charges levied on people for conferences and speaking
engagements is often excessive. A minister of God can
ask for support and deserves it if they are being diligent in
their study and proclamation of the Word. But
experiences and feelings often come with a price today and
that is not right.
Today we often hear the word "mistake"
coming from pulpits, and especially in defense of false
teaching and false prophesy. "Cut him some
slack! He just made some mistakes". "We all make
mistakes, so don't judge lest you be judged." We even
hear the word "mistakes" being substituted for the word
"sin" in many presentations of what I have termed "Gospel
Lite" today. So is it proper to substitute the word
"mistake" for the word "sin"? We'll look at the
problem of one word "mistakenly" being used for the
other.
"Holy Ghost Reborn" is the second film in
the "Holy Ghost" series released by Bethel Church in
Redding, CA. Tim Wirth and I reviewed the first "Holy
Ghost" film and that review is freely available on YouTube
here:
I am sorry to say this but Bethel is clearly
a cult of Christianity holding to most of the teachings of
the Latter Rain and Word of Faith. They have
demonstrated repeatedly a manipulative atmosphere targeting
young people in particular while preaching rank
heresy. This new film is a continuation of those false
teachings and practices. I pray for the young people
in that church that they will come to know Jesus Christ as
their Savior and thus come to know the true Holy
Spirit.
This 3-DVD set is only $30. plus s/h. for US.
Holy
Ghost IGNORED! Part 4 - Addendum with Tim Wirth &
Sandy Simpson
This "Holy Ghost IGNORED! Part 4 - Addendum is
part of a 3-DVD series by Sandy Simpson reviewing the film
"Holy Ghost Reborn". This addendum features a number of false
teachings of Bethel Church in Redding, CA that I was not able
to include in the 3-Part series. Get
the whole thing! It is very important to see what has
become the "new" Christianity.
The world system has always been a "top down"
structure, starting at the apex of the pyramid and going down
to the bottom. In kingdoms we have the king at the top, then
the princes, common people, slaves. In a democracy we have the
President at the top, the VP, the Sec. of State on down to the
citizens. In business we have the CEO at the top, upper
management, lower management, office workers and the
janitors. Unfortunately, sometime in the third century,
the church started to have a top down structure. This is also
when the church began to be in error. The church of Rome began
to have a "top down" structure that started with the pope,
then cardinals, then bishops, then priests, then the people.
Well, what about that? Eph 4:11 It was he who gave
some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, This
all sounds like a "top down" structure. But the problem is
that people have not seen an important fact about these gifts
of the Spirit -- man looks at function and title, God looks at
aim and goal! Read on. Eph. 4:12 to prepare God's people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built
up. These are not gifts given for title or to give people job
descriptions. They are given because there are people out
there who need our help! The church needed the Apostles. They
were the ones who were the foundation of the church. They were
the ones who saw Jesus in the flesh and were taught by Him
personally. They wrote the New Testament Scriptures. Though
the gifts of apostle and prophet are different today than in
biblical times, the gift of evangelism, pastoring, teaching
and others are still the same. A person who is an evangelist
does not just have a title so he can rule over people. The
reason that he has the gift to be an evangelist is so that he
can tell others the good news. Why do we have pastors? Are
they supposed to rule the church and get everyone to support
them and bow to their demands? No. They are to serve the
church by helping people to come to a fuller knowledge of
Jesus Christ, to equip the saints to become more like Jesus
every day.
The true structure of Christianity is
symbolized as an inverted pyramid!
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are
not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a
thief; How serious will it be for a person to be overtaken
in �that day� like a thief overtakes a household when he
slips in and steals? Will it just be a surprise for
those who claim to be Christians who will get a slap on the
wrist by the Lord but still proceed to heaven? Will
they simply lose rewards but still gain the ultimate
reward? What is this darkness that the brethren are
not in? 1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 While they are
saying, �Peace and safety!� then destruction will come
upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with
child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren,
are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a
thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day.
We are not of night or of darkness;
In my article �Blasphemizing
the
Bible� I give a number of examples of how a lot of
modern Bible translation societies are putting the names of
�supreme beings� in the Bible in the place of God or YHWH. In
this article I'm going to examine two of the excuses they make
for making those substitutions in the Bible in many hundreds
of different languages today.
(1) They claim that God has many different
names and therefore they think they are justified in putting
the names of various gods of various cultures in Bibles, as
long as they are considered �supreme beings�.
(2) The second excuse they give is that the
names of the �gods� they are placing in the Bible are generic
terms for God, like the words �God�, �Theos�, �Dios� and
�Elohim�. By generic I mean a word that can be used for any
deity whether of the one true God or other false gods who
claim to be God.
I will go through both of these excuses and
show that they are both unbiblical, therefore the Bibles they
have translated with names of other gods in them, or names
they claim are generic, prove that they have �blasphemized�
those Bibles.
There has been a concerted effort by the false
teachers from many movements inside the church such as Word of
Faith, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)/Latter Rain, World
Gathering on Indigenous People and Emerging Church among
others to diaprax people into thinking that the church has
been ineffective until they came along with their new and
improved ideas on how to take over the world. This is
always a feature of the Hegelian Dialectical process put into
action by praxis, thus diaprax. In order to form a new
paradigm or worldview the leadership of these movements must
vilify orthodox Biblical Christianity.
There are so many "Christian" leaders out there
that teach delusional teachings. These teaching are
dangerous and can lead a person to shipwreck their faith.
A good subtitle for this article might be
"Practice What You Preach!" There is no doubt that God
can and does heal people today. But the false doctrines
of the Word-Faith Movement about "declaring" healing,
"name-it-and-claim-it", etc. have been proven to be lies by
the very people who sell this deceit. If you don't know
about where these famous "faith healers" go when they need
healing, you may be surprised. Why couldn't they heal
themselves when they purported to be able to heal others by
virtue of their superior faith? What happened to the
extraordinary faith they claimed to have, enough faith to heal
and be healed? Since they are the ones who taught that
all you have to do is claim the healing that is in the
Atonement (Is. 53:5) why did they not do so? Don't their
deaths prove that what they were preaching was a lie and
pragmatic witchcraft rather than biblical relality?
It is quite clear from Scripture that YHWH does
NOT consider the �supreme beings� of the nations to be
Himself, the One True God. This is in opposition to the
teachings of Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss and
many others promoting the World Christian Gathering of
Indigenous People movement, Emergent Church and Liberal
theologies. I have proven this time and time again in my
articles on the subject but I am going to consolidate the
information from the Bible in this article by studying the
false gods named in the Bible. I am sure I will not be
able to cover every instance of supreme beings mentioned in
the Bible but I (1) want to deal with some of the major ones
(2) show you where they are found in the Word, and (3) prove
that they were the �supreme beings� of those nations named by
the patriarchs, prophets and Apostles and that they were not
monotheistic gods but polytheistic in the tradition of Babel
where the false religion of polytheism first took root through
the worship of Nimrod and Semiramis.
I am writing this article to address a
subject that I have often observed. It is the fact
that if you do not get the leaven out of your church the
leaven will become the leadership.The Bible teaches quite
clearly that if you let the leaven in you will leaven the
whole lump.
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens
the whole lump of dough.
We see this often in the case of many
�Christian� movements that have allowed a small error to
exist in their churches and have not dealt with those
issues. It then ends up metastasizing into worse and
worse problems as time goes by.
Now, I bet you read the title of this article
and thought I had misspelled the word "pantheism". Just
so that those of you who write to me advising me of words I
have misspelled in articles (and I do often) I want to tell
you that I am using the term "panentheism" as coined by Karl
C. F. Krause. You can read more about this word and
concept in an excellent book called "A
Time Of Departing" by Ray Yungen.
There is a new "God" being promoted in the
Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Word of Faith
movements whose teachers are regularly seen on TBN, Daystar,
SkyAngel, CBN and other "Christian" TV networks. Some of
those teachers even have, what would be considered, a fairly
typical statement of faith or doctrinal statement they
endorse. But by what they teach they end up promoting a
false unbiblical view of God, especially through their actions
and experiences. The whole phenomenon of "slain in the
spirit" and all the antics that go with it are brainwashing an
entire generation of Christians to put their faith in another
Jesus, another Spirit, another Gospel. This new "Jesus"
and "Holy Spirit" is clearly pantheistic or panentheistic in
nature. Though some of these teachers would claim to be
believing in the God who is One God in Three Persons, by what
they teach they deny the very revealed character of God from
Scripture.
How do you answer an invitation to attend a
meeting where you know nothing about the speaker or what will
be done there? What happens if they want to announce the
meeting at your church and invite everyone? What do you say to
a person who tells you that you don�t have the Holy Spirit
even though you are a Christian? What should you do if you
think something is wrong, or your conscience is bothering you
about something that was said or done? The answer?
Go to the Scriptures!
The Bible has all the answers to your
questions. This little booklet is an attempt to deal with a
few of the typical statements you will hear from people who
have become involved in the Third Wave revival movement. By
�Third Wave� I am referring to teachers, �prophets� and any
meeting associated with the Toronto �Blessing�, Brownsville
Assemblies of God, Rodney Howard-Browne, Benny Hinn, Kenneth
Copeland, Rod Parsley, Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyers, Bethel
Church, Lakeland and many others who appear on the Trinity
Broadcasting Network and the 700 Club on TV.
Hopefully the statements and answers in this
booklet will set you off on an investigation of your own in
the Word. If you need help, and you have access to the
Internet, you can visit my web site called �Deception In The
Church� that deals with these issues and has the articles
mentioned in this booklet.
Phil. 1:14-18
Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have
been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and
fearlessly. It is true that some preach Christ out of
envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter
do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of
the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition,
not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me
while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important
thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or
true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes,
and I will continue to rejoice,
If you see what I see in this passage, this
argument cannot be used for people like Benny Hinn, Kenneth
Copeland and the hundreds, even thousands of Third Wave
ministers today who are not merely envious and self ambitious,
but are also teaching outright false doctrine. Paul was not
talking about heretics in this statement, but "brothers in the
Lord" who preach the Gospel with wrong motives. Third Wave
teachers not only have wrong motives, they also have the wrong
message. This argument cannot be used for people like
Hinn, even if they manage to preach enough of the "Gospel" for
people to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord, because they
are also teaching and practicing heresy.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no
wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
Satan often disguises himself with the
purpose of deceiving people. One way in which I believe
he is putting on a masquerade is by appearing as �Mary� to
millions of people worldwide.
So much heresy is entering the churches these
days. As you would suspect, sometimes it is due to a
pastor attending a conference or reading a book and becoming
diapraxed with unbiblical ideas. He then starts to weave
those ideas into his messages and begins to invite speakers to
the church who expound on those ideas. Then when
confronted by someone in the church who has reservations about
the new stuff being taught, they are told to not talk about it
and just go along with the program. If that person does
not they are ostracized, slander behind their back, and often
told to leave (which is what they should do in any
case).
But my observation is that it is not only the
pastor who causes unbiblical changes to influence a
church. Often the pastor is blissfully unaware of
influences coming into his church. They often come in
through (1) the worship team (2) women�s groups (3) bookstore
(4) children�s programs (5) interdenominational prayer efforts
and (6) relief and mission organizations. If unchecked
this type of infiltration is much more subtle and can become
deeply rooted.
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you
captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to
the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Christ.
In context Paul is especially addressing,
though perhaps not to the exclusion of other false religion,
what had become the false religion of the Pharisees and Jewish
leadership. There were many Jewish so-called
�Christians� making the rounds among the fledgling early
churches who were trying to get the Gentiles to come under the
Law from which Christ had purchased their freedom. John
Gill states this case well in his commentary.
The current fad of interfaith solidarity and
unity is simply a thin guise of inclusivism, Universalism
and pluralism.
Universalism is defined by Dictionary.com
as: The doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of
God and the final salvation of all souls. (Source)
Universalism is a religion and theology that generally holds
all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine
and will be reconciled to God. (Source)
Pluralism is defined as: The doctrine that
reality is composed of many ultimate substances. � The
belief that no single explanatory system or view of reality
can account for all the phenomena of life. (American
Heritage Dictionary, (Source)
Inclusivism is: "Inclusivism posits that
even though the work of Christ is the only means of
salvation, it does not follow that explicit knowledge of
Christ is necessary in order for one to be saved. In
contrast to pluralism, inclusivism agrees with exclusivism
in affirming the particularity of salvation in Jesus Christ.
But unlike exclusivism, inclusivism holds that an implicit
faith response to general revelation can be salvific. God
expects from man a response proportional to the light given.
Saving faith is not characterized so much by its cognitive
content as it is by its reverent quality." (Ken Keathley,
None Dare Call It Treason: Is an Inclusivist a Paul
Revere or a Benedict Arnold? (Ken Keathley, Assistant
Professor of Theology and Philosophy New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary, (Source)
We deal with these old heresies brought
forward to modernity, these ideas that all men have have a
relationship with God that will cause them to be able to
avoid judgement in our book on the teachings of the World
Gathering on Indigenous People movement called �Idolatry
In Their Hearts�. The idea that all men who
worship a �god� are worshipping the true God, YHWH, has
bubbled up to the very top of our societies and religions,
and even Christendoom, and should sound a warning alarm to
true Biblical Christianity. Instead, as usual in our
day, most Christians are asleep at the wheel while
Universalists claim that you can pray to a �god� like Allah
and be praying to the true Trinue God, YHWH. I also dealt
with the fact that Allah is not YHWH, both in our book and
in the article �Is Allah The Same
As YHWH?�.
I'm going to warn you now. I am going to
let you in on some information tonight that is going to
radically change your world view. You are likely going
to experience the beginnings of a reverse paradigm shift and
after tonight there will be no way to go back the way you
came. You will be faced with choices that you may never
have known you had. You will be faced with a new way of
looking at things that is going to cause you to rethink
everything that is being taught in the Emerging Latter Rain
churches. It is going to be radical because the basis
for this message doesn't come from Jesus Christ visiting my
room last night bodily, but from His holy written Word.
So buckle down your seat belts, you're likely in for a bumpy
ride!
Matt. 7:15-23 "Watch out
for false prophets. They come to you in sheep�s clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you
will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes,
or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good
fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, �Lord, Lord,� will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
�Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?� Then I
will tell them plainly, �I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers!�
I often receive requests to present updated
false teachings and false prophecies by the myriad of heretics
out there. We do try to keep up with all the
latest. But I have to remind people that those we have
exposed as false on our site have not repented of what they
have already done in the past, which is why they are still on
our site. So what they are doing now has no relevance as
to whether or not they are now to be considered a true
Biblical teacher. If and when they repent, that is
renounce their false teachings and false prophecies, make
restitution to those they have deceived, and begin to teach
sound Biblical doctrine we will give you that
information. As of now NONE of the people we have
exposed have repented of their Latter Rain, Word of Faith
teachings, heretical practices or their false
prophecies. But in the interest of helping you to
respond to a person who inquires by saying: "Those articles
are old and you need newer materials" well, here is some newer
stuff you can add to the pile. For you and me this
really makes no difference, but for those who are living in
deception perhaps it might demolish one of their arguments
against the truth.
Sometimes I really wonder why someone who
claims to be a Bible believing pastor, for instance, refuses
to listen to the truth. It frankly boggles my
mind. I don't know if it is as a result of the
postmodern paradigm or just that they have no love of the
truth left. I don't know how that can happen in a truly
regenerate person. You would think that the Holy Spirit
would confirm the truth to them, first in their conscience,
and finally through the written Word. But these days it
is a miracle if it gets that far. I don't know if their
conscience has been so seared that they don't hear the Spirit
or if they just don't want to know the truth because then they
would be responsible for it. I know that I cannot know
their motives or the reasons why they reject truth and refuse
to talk about false teaching, but I do know one thing: we are
called as true believers to test the spirits. We must do
this even if the result is not to our liking or befuddles us
as to the reasons.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have
gone out into the world.
I have some questions for those of the World
Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) adherents
such as Don Richardson, Daniel Kikawa, Richard Twiss
(deceased), Terry LeBlanc, Danny Lehman, Aloha Ke Akua, YWAM
as well as many in the Emergent Church (EC) ... the questions
arise from their claim that the "supreme beings" of the
nations are all the True God, YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. You can read more on this subject in our book
"Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" or in the WCGIP
section of my site. My main question for them is this: When
did ANY of the Patriarchs and Prophets in the Old Testament
and the Apostles or Jesus Christ in the New Testament EVER
claim that the "supreme beings" of the nations were
Elohim/YHWH, the one True God? Let's look at some
examples in the form of questions and you can check out the
source links as well.
In running a web
site with thousands of articles, 1-2 million hits per month
from all over the world, and hundreds of e-mails per week, I
have come to realize, with time, that there is a terrible
problem in Christendom today. The problem stems from an
existential subjective view of the world that has filtered
into the church from secular society, but also from the
teachings of heretical wolves who have taught an entire
generation of churchgoers completely unbiblical methods of
discernment or to get rid of any discernment altogether.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto
them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power
of God. (KJV) Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears
these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a
wise man who built his house on the rock. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word! � 1787 Joseph Funk & Robert Keene
A house built on the rock will stand. The
Rock is God and in particular, Jesus Christ. Therefore
His written Word is the teachings of the His Holy Spirit and a
Rock we can depend on. Anyone who wants to prove
anything theologically, historically, scientifically or
anything else needs to start with correct information.
If you start with a faulty foundation, as you build your
arguments, they begin to fall apart because they are not
supported in God"s truth. If you want to build on a firm
foundation, you need to start the process by a careful study
of God"s Word in context of the verse and according to the
whole counsel of God"s Word. The Bible is the best
commentary on the Bible.
"Karma means action, work or deed; it also
refers to the principle of causality where intent and
actions of an individual influence the future of that
individual. Good intent and good deed contribute to
good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad
deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.
Karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in some
schools of Asian religions. In these schools, karma in
the present affects one's future in the current life, as
well as the nature and quality of future lives - or, one's
samsara. With origins in ancient India, it is a key concept
in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shintoism,
Ching Hai and others."(emphasis mine)
Mirram-Webster defines it this way:
the force created by a person's actions that
is believed in Hinduism and Buddhism to determine what that
person's next life will be like: the force created by a
person's actions that some people believe causes good or bad
things to happen to that person
Zechariah 14:9 NIV The LORD will be king
over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD,
and his name the only name.
The reason I wrote this article
based on Zech 14:9 is that I was reminded of how many
so-called Christians, who are influential in the churches, are
promoting the worship of God in the names of other gods.
So, as you can see, the root of this
teaching is that Israel no longer holds the distinction of
being the tree from which the Root of David (Jesus-Rev. 5:5,
22:16) came. They are no longer the "natural branches"
(Israel-Rom. 11:21) on to which Gentile Christianity (the
wild shoots-Rom. 11:17 or wild branches-Rom. 11:24) are
grafted in (Rom. 11:17-24). According to Replacement
Theology, Christianity has now become its own branch apart
from Israel (the natural branch) that produced the Root and
all the promises of the Bible to Israel have been taken away
from them and given to the Gentile Church. This is why
you hear so many false teachers taking verses out of context
from the Old Testament and willy-nilly applying them to the
Gentile Church. This methodology has been going on for
decades in liberal churches and has been popularized by many
false teachers on TV. But the fact is that Replacement
Theology is utter false doctrine. It denies promises
made to Israel, some of which have already been fulfilled
and some which are yet to come to fruition. But when you add
the fact that the Inclusivist WCGIP proponents are now
saying that God planted hundreds of different trees,
cultures all over the world, that are not connected to the
natural branch, tree and Root, you have what can only be
termed Replacement Theology on steroids!
The Scriptural definition of maturity is to
learn to discern truth from error so that the Christian will
no longer be double minded, blown about by every wind of
teaching and by the schemes of crafty people. But the
problem today is that so few Christian teachers are feeding
their flock's solid food. They are serving up milk and,
because of that, people are starving. Yet they often don't
even know they have been on a starvation diet. Amos 8:11
"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I
will send a famine through the land - not a famine of
food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the
words of the Lord."
Lying is a problem for all people (Ps.
116:11). We are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). Those of
us who are Christians are "sinners saved by grace" (Eph. 2:8)
indwelt by the Holy Spirit in our "new self" (Col. 3:10). But
we still live in our "old self" which we must "put off" (Eph.
4:20-25) by taking up our cross daily and following Christ
(Luke 9:23). The difference between unbelievers and
those who are truly born again is that believers no longer
"practice sin" (1 John 3:9, see my Bible study on 1
John!) They have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11)
who convicts them when they lie (John 16:8). True believers
then repent (1 John 1:9) and go on to "practice righteousness"
(1 John 2:29) with the Lord's help. The unregenerate,
the false brothers, or those who have fallen away (Gal. 5:4,
Mark 4:17), practice lying. They practice a lifestyle of
lying because their consciences are seared (1 Tim. 4:2) and
the Holy Spirit, when convicting them, cannot break through
the hardness of their unrepentant hearts (Eph. 4:17-19, Heb.
3:13).
The four books that have changed the church by
giving an introduction to the false teachings of the New
Apostolic/Latter Rain (NAR), the Emerging
Church/Contemplative/Catholic Mysticism (EC), pragmatic Church
Growth (CG) methodologies of C. Peter Wagner, Robert Schuller
and Peter Drucker, and the teachings of the World Christian
Gathering on Indigenous People (WCGIP) are as follows:
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack
Deer, Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, Purpose
Driven Church by Rick Warren & Etnerity In Their Hearts by
Don Richardson.
These four books were widely read by
Christians from virtually every denominational background
before their ramifications and the movements they would spawn
were known. They lay error alongside truth so were
considered not to be a threat to churches. Therefore
these books then became part of the consciousness of many
Christians and churches, thereby laying the basis for the
introduction of the modern day false teachings of the NAR, EC,
CG and WCGIP that have become part of the landscape of
Christendom today.
With the resurgence of the old religion of
Hawaii and the continual invocation of Pel� and other
"deities" for years in the secular culture and even in
churches with regards to worshipping 'Io, is it any wonder
that those beings are beginning to manifest again? In
a story called "Night
Marchers" on the Kawaihae site and in a YouTube
video on the same subject, eyewitnesses claim all
kinds of sightings that they think are the warriors,
ancestors and demi-gods of Hawaii coming back.
Interestingly the
first
book the Hawaiian Heritage site recommends in its
"Suggested Reading" list is "Perpetuated
in
Righteousness" by Daniel Kikawa that we reviewed in
our book "Idolatry
In
Their Hearts" by Sandy Simpson and Mike Oppenheimer.
Since Kikawa claims that 'Io is the True God and one that
the Hawaiians worshipped in secret, we have to wonder if
Kikawa also thinks 'Io is showing up in these night marches?
Since YWAM, Aloha Ke Akua and Hilo New Hope participated in
worshipping 'Io at the "edge of Hale-ma'uma'u Crater" it
sounds like they have all been inviting the old "gods" to
return to Hawaii.
I am doing a Bible study right now on what I
would call "renewing our minds". It is based on this
verse:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is
- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The only way to renew our minds is to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess our sins, and be saved, then
to study the written Word and allow the indwelling Holy Spirit
to teach us. Our minds are corrupted by virtue of the
sin nature and what we have learned in life because our
filters are off. I gave an illustration of straining coconut
to make coconut milk. If you use a 1 inch screen
everything will pass through. Even if you use a quarter
inch screen you will get mostly coconut meat in your
milk. You have to use a fine screen in order to separate
the milk from the leftover. Our filters are off and the
first thing God begins to do is correct our worldview, because
if your worldview is off you will not understand God's
reality. We need to learn to see things from His
perspective. This is why I started this study by going
back to an original problem.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the
lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He
will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and
wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that
wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For
this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they
will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned
who have not believed the truth but have delighted in
wickedness.
This has always been an interesting passage to
me for a few different reasons. What is "the lie" that
is talked about here in verse 9 and 11? What are the
ways that "wickedness deceives those who are perishing" and
how long has this been going on or does this only begin to
happen at the coming of the lawless one? In what way
does "the lie" cause those who do not believe the truth to
"delight in wickedness"?
Updated! The First Nations Movement Deceiving The Nations! 4-DVD Series
Critical Missiological
Issue!
The "Indigenous People's" (IPM) or "First
Nations" movement is an unbiblical movement teaching heresies
and doctrines of demons. It is being spread worldwide by YWAM,
Don Richardson, John Dawson, Richard Twiss, Terry LeBlanc,
Daniel Kikawa and many other adherents. The IPM or World
Christian Gathering On Indigenous People is full of the false
teachings of the Third Wave, New Apostolic Reformation (NAR),
Word-Faith, Dominionism, Latter Rain and many other false
theological systems. But it does have it's own
distinctives that are driven by the works of Daniel Kikawa,
Richard Twiss, and Don Richardson in particular. They
are teaching Christians to "redeem" their cultures by
worshipping their former gods, pretending they are YHWH.
Go here for ordering
information. Only $10. per DVD or $35. for the 4-DVD set, plus
s/h. for US. The First Nations
Movement 4-DVD Set
The First Nations
Movement DVD 1 (1) Perpetuating Nations' Myths - Mike
Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement, Part 1
- Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 2 (1) The Fingerprints Of God? - Mike Oppenheimer (2) 11 Reasons To Reject This Movement, Part 2
- Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 3 (1) The New Indigenous "Christian" Religion -
Sandy Simpson (2) Did God Put Eternity In Their Hearts? -
Sandy Simpson (3) The Missionaries Brought A Foreign God -
Sandy Simpson (4) Catholic Syncretism - Sandy Simpson The First Nations
Movement DVD 4 (1) "Monotheism" In Ancient Cultures - Sandy
Simpson (2) The History Of The Knowledge Of God - Sandy
Simpson "Christians" Who Try To Poke Holes In
Sola Scriptura by Sandy Simpson
There are a number of the leadership of the
Emerging Church (EC) who do not believe that the Bible is
the highest authority for the Christian faith. Most do
not believe that the Bible is inerrant in the original
manuscripts and many do not acknowledge that the Bible is
our highest revelation. Yet this is a core doctrine
over which true believers and false brethren must separate.
Those who try to poke holes in Sola Scriptura make excuses
like (1) we need to reinterpret the Bible through the lens
of postmodern culture and religion (2) the Bible never uses
the words "Sola Scriptura" therefore it is not a Biblical
concept (3) there is new revelation for the church through
the Holy Spirit apart from what is written and the precepts
of the Bible and (4) the Bible just doesn't address our
postmodern situation therefore we cannot rely on it for the
truth and answers for our problems today. I will prove
that all the above arguments, and more, from EC leaders and
others is exactly what they are teaching. I will give
you quotes from their teachings, videos and books. The
postmodern church and its "movements" are abandoning Sola
Scriptura in their rush to be like the Roman Catholic
Church, which takes its authority from a mix of Scripture
and tradition.
"As a result the Church, to whom the
transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted,
"does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths
from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition
must be accepted and honored with EQUAL sentiments of
devotion and reverence." (Roman Catholic Catechism, Given
October 11, 1992, the thirtieth anniversary of the opening
of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in the fourteenth
year of my Pontificate. Page 31).
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h. for
US.
Updated DVD! The Question Of Dominion by Sandy Simpson
I am writing this article as an apologetic
against the Third Wave, Latter Rain, Word of Faith and
Reformed Theology teachings that the Church is to rise up
and take over the systems of government, businesses and
every other aspect of life. "See, the problem is, is that
Satan has had too much of his way in our society because he
has a government! And the only way to overthrow a
government is with a government. It won't happen
otherwise. So therefore the government of the church
has to get into place in the extended church just like we do
have it very well in place, we haven't reached our goal yet
..." (Transcript of C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic
Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10-10-2004) Wagner
has substituted the "government of the church" for the
coming government of Jesus Christ in the Millennial
Kingdom. Wagner is "Kingdom Now" while the Bible
teaches "Kingdom Come". What I wanted to do with this
article is put the issue of dominion to rest by studying the
definition the Bible gives to dominion and ruling
authority. When we look at the subject we can easily
ascertain what is going on today and what God requires of
the Church.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. per DVD plus s/h. for US.
The Bible lays out the definitions of both
an overseer (under shepherd) and a hireling. John
10:11-13 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling,
and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf
catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling
fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the
sheep. (KJV) 1 Tim. 3:1-3 Here is a
trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not
given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (NIV) Titus
1:7-13 Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work,
he must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered,
not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing
dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves
what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and
disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message
as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by
sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are
many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision group. They must be
silenced, because they are ruining whole households by
teaching things they ought not to teach - and that for the
sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has
said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy
gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them
sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith. (NIV) A
hireling does not really care about being a watchman, but is
more concerned with protecting his reputation, position and
income. A true watchman will guard the flock against
wolves from within (Acts 20:30) and without (Acts 20:29) no
matter the cost to his reputation, position or income.
Following is a little quiz you can take to see if you are a
true Biblical under shepherd as a leader in your church, are
becoming a hireling, or are one now.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
Too many churches today are allowing music
to be used in their services that is not glorifying to the
Lord and can actually be a hindrance to the teaching of
sound doctrine. Pastors and leaders should be using their
leadership role to test what is being played and sung in
their churches. Though some are quick to test preaching and
teaching from their pulpits, many ignore the music being
used in the same services. This is a tragic mistake. Music
is a powerful medium. It is something that effects deeply
the body, mind and emotions. It is a proven fact that music
often stays with a person far longer than what is taught or
preached. Songs roam around in our heads, especially if the
melody appeals to us. What is often overlooked is the
serious impression music makes on people, and the teaching
they are getting over and over again as they allow the song
to repeat in their minds and on their lips. Music teaches
things much more subtly yet sometimes far more effectively.
That's why the lyrical content of music in the church, as
well as its effect on the spiritual lives of those who
perform and listen, should be vigorously examined by the
leaders of the church. This is a 2-DVD set.
Go here for
ordering information. Only $20. per 2-DVD set plus s/h. for
US.
2 Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves to
see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in
you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
People who call themselves followers of Christ
or "Christians" and claim they are born again must believe
certain things. If they do not then they fail the test
of faith. They can claim they are born again all they
want and "once saved, always saved" but if they fail the test
of faith there is no eternal security. Only God knows
who will be saved, from beginning to end, because of His
foreknowledge and omniscience (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet. 1:2).
God did not make an arbitrary judgment about who would be
saved and who would not. His Spirit is given to those He
foreknew, when convicted of sin by His Holy Spirit, would
choose to believe and commit themselves to Jesus Christ.
We are not God and we do not have His omniscience.
Therefore, according to Paul, we must be sure our belief
system is in the right place once our eyes have been opened to
the Truth. I am not saying we do not have assurance of
salvation, but our assurance comes not only because of His
Atonement and promises of salvation but from our continuing in
the Faith, which is always the Biblical criteria. Those who
would be Bible teachers must teach according to the whole
counsel of God's Word. Let me be clear. There is
only one way to salvation. That is by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone. I will deal with a
few of those issues following, but it is important to
recognize that being saved is not just a matter of believing
that Jesus lived, or that He was a man, or simply giving
mental ascent to His existence in whatever form.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
I am going to go over an article I wrote back
in 2006 in preparation for the book I wrote with Mike
Oppenheimer called 'Idolatry in Their Hearts'. This book
is an apologetic against the false teachings of the World
Christian Gathering on Indigenous People movement, the
Emerging Church and the New Apostolic Reformation which got
their ideas from the book "Eternity in Their Hearts" by Don
Richardson. At the time that book came out no one really
saw the dangerous ideas Richardson was promoting. All
they would have had to do was look at the two subtitles of
that book to understand the implications. The first
subtitle in the 1981 edition read: The Untold Story of
Christianity among Folk Religions of Ancient People.
Those who read this book found some interesting cross-cultural
ideas but apparently missed the false premise of the book
starting with the subtitle. How could Christianity be "among
folk religions" where the Gospel had not been preached (Rom.
10:14-15)? At that time Christians who read the book were
apparently satisfied that, though there was some questionable
material present, it made for an interesting discussion on how
to do cross-cultural ministry. The subtitle it has today,
which was first published in 1984, is as follows: Startling
Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures
Throughout the World. This should have been a red flag
for many Christians but then, who reads subtitles? But
how could the "One True God" be known to Gentiles who did "not
know God".
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
Resources For Pastors including "Good English Bible Translations" by Sandy Simpson
I was talking with a pastor after a Wednesday
night service and he mentioned that I said I had done an
article comparing English Bible translations. He called
me up later and asked me to come back and present the contents
of that article I sent out in about 2002 to my mailing list
for the Pacific Waves Newsletter which, unfortunately, I can
no longer afford to publish and mail. However an archive
of past issues of that newsletter can be found here.
In that article I detailed a number of good and bad resources
for pastors including Bible translations, concordances,
commentaries, Bible dictionaries, etc. I present an
edited version of part of that article on this DVD,
particularly dealing with English Translations of the
Bible. Translation is a very detailed endeavor and
should only be undertaken by those with a proper education in
that subject and a sound doctrinal background. I read a
few books on that subject and it helped me understand the
complexities involved. Hebrew is a rich language so it
is hard to distill one Hebrew word down to one English
word. Greek is a very technical language and it is also
not easy to translate. This is why it is imperative to
use the good English translations out there for comparison
along with a good concordance and Bible dictionary.
Go here
for ordering information. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
A TALE OF TWO KINGDOMS Kingdom Now or Kingdom Come? by Sandy Simpson
There are two kingdoms being taught in many
churches today. Teaching about one of the kingdoms is on the
decline while the other is being promoted all over the
place. I am warning Christians that they need to check
out who is using the word "kingdom", the books they have been
reading and recommend on building "the kingdom", the people
they have been hanging out with at conferences, and what they
mean by "the kingdom".
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. Only $10. plus s/h. for US.
BIBLES STUDIES IN DISCERNMENT by Sandy Simpson
Bible studies in Galatians, Philippians,
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude with a
focus on applying timeless discernment priciples to our modern
times.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $18. per book plus s/h.
BIBLES STUDIES IN DISCERNMENT Companion CD! by Sandy Simpson
Contains the PDF text to the book BIBLE STUDIES
IN DISCERNMENT plus extra studies by Sandy & Juanita
Simpson covering many issues of apologetics and discernment.
Go here
for more information or click on the "Add To Cart"
below. The price is $10. per cd plus s/h.
A Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking
These Days! by Sandy Simpson
This DVD series is a teaching based on this
article.
In this DVD series I want to detail a number
of beliefs people have these days that have no basis in
Scripture. I am going to roam all over the map, so to
speak, and try to give fairly short answers on a number of
topics and also give you useful links to articles that will
help you deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without giving
a thought to what the Bible has to say on the subject.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here
for ordering details.
Signs Of Apostasy In The Churches
In The End Times by Sandy Simpson
This 2-DVD series is a teaching based on this
article.
There are many signs of the great Apostasy,
or falling away (2 Thes. 2:3) indicating we are living in
the end times (Mt. 24: 3-14) I am going to go through
some indications of the Apostasy in the churches as a follow
up to the signs of the times in the world.
Only $20. plus s/h. for US. Go here
for ordering details.
The Responsibilities of a Good Shepherd by Sandy Simpson
This CD is a message based on this
article.
Emerging Church CD & Free DVD All the links to
resources and articles we have on the Emerging Church on
one CD. by Sandy Simpson
(The Emerging Church only is downloadable!)
When you purchase the
"Resource Tools - Emerging Church" CD for $10. plus s/h you
will also receive a brand new free DVD called "The
Emerging Church" that features Gary Gilley, Ray
Yungen, Joanna Michaelson, Mike Oppenheimer and Sandy
Simpson.
From Church To Emerging Church DVD
Series by Sandy Simpson
The issue of the Emerging Church and it's
introduction into many churches and mission organizations has
reached a critical point. Many do not undersand what is
being leavened into churches by the EC leadership. Many
would be shocked to know their belief systems involve
Universalism, New Age, defense of postmodernism,
Interfaithism, and many other false doctrines. In order
to reach out to this generation the EC leadership is proposing
a whole new "map" to deal with what they perceive is a lack of
understanding on the part of the churches on how to
communicate. EC proponants believe the "scripture" for
today is evolving and must change in order to reach
postmoderns.
Go here for
ordering details on this 2-part DVD series!
Idolatry In Their Hearts Landmark Book! by Sandy Simpson &
Mike Oppenheimer
Does having eternity in your heart mean that you
know God and are His child? Could Gentile cultures understand
the Gospel from the stars? Did God create man's cultures? Has
God always been in the process of redeeming cultures from the
time of Babel by placing in them a true revelation of Himself?
Is there the worship of YHWH in all cultures and religions
through the names of supreme beings? Have all cultures
always had a way to make things right between them and God?
These questions and many more are answered in this book that
addresses the false teachings of The New Apostolic Reformation
regarding missiological methods as being carried out by many
agencies including the World Christian Gathering on Indigenous
People, YWAM, and many Bible societies.
The New Apostolic Reformation -
What is it and where is it going? Every Pastor Needs
This! by Bill
Randles, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jacob Prasch, Mike
Oppenheimer, Orrel Steinkamp, Gary Gilley, Dave Hunt, Sandy
Simpson and others.
This is a 6-DVD expose
of the NAR and it's leadership of C. Peter
Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Peirce, Dutch Sheets, Bill Hamon,
Jack Deere and others.
Lessons In Forgiveness Great Study! by Sandy Simpson
Through the years I
have been presented with many opportunities to forgive.
Sometimes the situation was so severe that it took me some
time to forgive and start the process of healing for
myself, and eventually for others. I learned that a
Christian needs to forgive other people even if they have
not repented of their sins. That can be really hard if we
let it be hard. But if we give our burdens over to the
Lord, He will carry them and that frees us up to treat
other people with love, compassion, and be in the right
frame of mind and heart to set them up for reconciliation
with Jesus Christ. That does not mean we tolerate their
sin. We simply forgive them for what they have done to us,
whether perceived or real, and move on to looking for ways
to redeem them. We can then present to them the "truth in
love" even when we have to rebuke them.
was written to help
believers to realize the absolute necessity of growing to
maturity in Christ. Many churches are urging Christians to
push aside discernment in favor of experience. It is our
hope that this book will inspire many believers to fight
the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2
Tim. 4:7).
The New Apostolic Reformation -
What is it and where is it going? Companion Book! by Sandy Simpson
is now available in book form. This is the
DVD script plus commentary by Sandy Simpson. The commentary
of the DVD series is not in the book, but there are many
more quotes available than in the video series. Good
reference material. Also available on CD-ROM.
is a fitting manual for the Revelation
Christian. All the precepts are in the seven letters in
Revelation 1:9 - 3:22 to help us keep the faith, stay in
sound doctrine, and reach out to those who are perishing. I
hope and pray that this book will
help the reader to be an "overcomer".
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT Demolish Arguments! by Sandy Simpson
Want to be able to see your way through to
clear biblical discernment? Want a set of tools that will
allow you to disciple your loved ones so they will stand
firm in the Faith? Want to sort out many of the false
arguments and teachings that have invaded the churches? Then DISCERNMENT
TOOLKIT book is for
you!
DISCERNMENT TOOLKIT DVD Study Series! by Sandy Simpson is taken from the book but includes a lot of
footage of false teachers and false prophets. It covers the
core doctrines, how we can use them to test, and examples on
the DVD that can be paused for discussion. Also
includes a teacher guide and links to resources on the
web. This 3-DVD series is available now!
SPIRIT OF TRUTH OR SPIRIT OF ERROR? Important Video Information On Benny Hinn!
by Sandy Simpson, Mike
Oppenheimer & Jacob Prasch
features tons of video
showing the teachings and prophecies of Benny Hinn.
This is a proven tool to keep people away from heresy.
THE EMPTY PULPIT Highly Recommended! by Mike Oppenheimer What is Christianity? What significance does
the cross have? Are there teachings that can wreck our
faith? We live in an age unlike any other in the history of
man. To follow the Lord among the unique challenges we must
understand Scripture and live by it. Available for $20-
includes shipping. Apologetics Coordination Team
HIGHLY recommends this book. It deals with many crucial
issues for the Church today.
Go here
to order the book by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, P.O. Box 860683, Wahiawa, HI 96786.
Articles on rightly handling the Word of Truth.
(1) The
Doctrines That Cannot Be Compromised by Mal Couch PH.D.,
TH.D. and Russell L. Penney Dr., 1996
Paul's response to doctrinal errors in the church. "Sound in the
faith" (Titus 1:13) means "healthy" in faith. Thus we speak
wholesome words of Christ to create strong and robust and healthy
believers. What about those who are weak and sickly in their
profession of faith? We should rebuke those who are infected with
bad principles and practices, like the physician removing the
causes of disorder; and with rebuke, admonition and censuring.
THIS IS ULTIMATELY FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE CORRECTED. (John Gill -
TITUS, p. 351)."
(2) Accusers
of
the Brethren or Good Bereans? by Debra Bouey,
1995 "It would seem that anyone who wishes to discuss the current
movement proceeding forth from the Toronto Airport Vineyard in
the light of the whole counsel of the Word of God has indeed
become, at best, a "Pharisee", and, at worst, the enemy. There
have been numerous references throughout a variety of Vineyard
venues, both at Toronto, Anaheim and elsewhere, condemning
anyone who calls into question biblically any of these bizarre
manifestations taking place presently."
(3)Is
It Right? To Judge, To Expose Error, & To Call Names?by E.L. Bynum, 1996 "Yes, it is right to expose error and to name those who are in
error. It is right to "earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). It was once delivered
and it has never been recalled for revision. We had better
beware of "false teachers ... who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies " (II Pet. 2: 1). Faithful messengers will
warn the sheep of these heretics, and identify them by name. It
is not enough to broadly hint of their identity, for the young
lambs will not understand and will be destroyed by the wolves. "
(4)God's
Word:
Our Guard and Guide?by Dave Hunt,
1997 "The fruitful man in Psalm 1 meditates upon God's Word "day and
night," and not from a sense of duty but because it is his
"delight." In his heart and on his mind continually, God's Word
guards and guides him. How essential this is! Common sense and
logic are helpful. However, without God's Word (which transcends
human wisdom) to guard and guide us, we are susceptible to
temptation and error, especially when the latter is presented
convincingly "in the name of God" by those looked up to as
Christian leaders."
(5)Discernment
of
False Doctrine by Dean & Laura VanDruff,
1997 "God has truly "not lead" most of His children "into to
temptation", and those who have fallen He has "delivered from
evil". But I suspect this will change in the end, and many are
unprepared. Satan will be given permission to "sift us like
wheat", and many will fall when the Beast unleashes his lies
about God in the last days. These are sobering times."
(6)Scripture
Twisting by Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M, Ph.D.,
1996 "Evangelical Christians base their lives on the Bible. We
believe that the Bible is God's Word and that it is therefore
authoritative for us in matters of faith and practice. The Bible
indicates the great truths of who God is, how we can relate to
him, how we can understand ourselves and the world. In short,
the Bible contains the words of life. Believers use it to guide
them in discerning God's will, from the monumental to the
mundane. We read it to gain hope as well as to glean truth. It
affects our beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. In short, the
Bible is our pipeline to heaven: without it, we are adrift,
unprotected in a hostile place. "
(7)The
Authority
of the Bible by Patrick Zukeran, 1996 "No book can match the Bible when it comes to prophecy.
Understand that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg.
There are hundreds of additional proofs for the Bible, yet I
have only mentioned a few. I hope this study (will arouse) your
interest to further study the Word of God."
(8)Sinners
In The Hands Of An Angry God by Jonathan
Edwards, 1741
The sermon that brought repentance and revival in 1741. Compare it
to what is being preached today in the "counterfeit" revival. "Therefore,
let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the
wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly
hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one
fly out of Sodom: "Haste and escape for your lives, look not
behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."
(9)The
Bible:
Sound Doctrine by Paul Becker, 1997 "For many years people have jumped on the band wagons of "new
ideas" as they follow various pied pipers. "For the time will
come [is NOW HERE, ed.] when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have
itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers and turn
their ears away from the truth." (2Tim 4:3-4)"
(10)Bibliology:
The
Doctrine Of The Written Word by J. Hampton
Keathley III, 1997 "In the dumbing down we have witnessed in America with its
happy-clappy kind of Christianity so prevalent today, we are
witnessing a growing anti-intellectualism in the church. For
many of the present generation, experience has become more
important than truth, but experience without truth is the menace
and misery of a mindless Christianity, and one of the issues we
face is that God's truth is found for us in the Bible. So not
only have we been faced with a battle for the inerrancy of the
Bible, but for the need to return to the Bible as God's holy
Word as the foundation of our faith and experience. Let me
conclude with these words from the Savior: John 8: 31-32. Jesus
therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In
praying for the disciples and for those who would believe after
them (the church) He was praying that they might be protected
from the evil influences of the world, the Savior said these
vital words: John 17:16-17. They are not of the world, even as I
am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is
truth."
(11)Obedience
To
God (Uzzah's Disobedience) by Sandy Simpson,
1998 "The first obedience we should show is confessing our sins,
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, and making
Him the Lord of our life. The second obedience is to serve Him
the way He wants us to serve Him. Worship without
obedience is futile. In fact it makes the Lord angry. Getting
excited and zealous for the Lord without obedience to God by
living in accordance with His law and the doctrine of Scripture
is futile and meaningless, and in fact, dangerous. There's a
famous hymn that says it all: "When we walk with the Lord, in
the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While
we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who
will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way,
to be happy in Jesus. but to trust and obey."
(12)Rebuttal
To
John Piper's Defense Of The Term "Christian hedonism"
by Deception In The Church, 1998 "The following is a summary of John Piper's use of the term
"Christian hedonism" from his books "Desiring God" and "Future
Grace". I will rebut each item as they appear in his
official defense of his attempt to coin the phrase "Christian
hedonism".
(13)Judge
Not? by Jacob Prasch, 1998 Judge not? What does the Bible say?
(14)Experience
Or God's Revealed Truth? by Oswald Chambers,
1927 "Be ruthless with yourself if you are given to talking about
the experiences you have had. Faith that is sure of itself is
not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there
is."
(15)Leaven
In
The Bread by Sandy Simpson, 1999 "It's time to expel the leaven from among us and separate
ourselves to God."
(17)Why
We
All Need The ABC's by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.,
1999 "We live in an anti-intellectual, anti-authority society,
especially when it comes to religious matters. Ours is an
existential (based on human experience, empirical) society
devoted to the �warm fuzzy� feel good, self-centered mentality
that is so characteristic of the New Age movement which has
bombarded the country�including much of the church. As a
consequence, the terms doctrine or theology are not very popular
in Christian circles. In fact, they are often denigrated or
belittled. We hear statements like, �We don't need to know all
that theological or doctrinal stuff. We just need to know
Jesus.� Or, �Well, I am not a theologian and never expect to be.
I just love Jesus.� But knowing and loving Jesus in truth is
dependent on the teachings of the Bible. Doctrine is simply
another name for teaching and theology means �the knowledge of
God.� Often the term theology is used in a general way to refer
to other areas of study that relate to the knowledge of God.
Biblical theology is simply the truths of God's Word that give
us the knowledge of God, of man, salvation, sanctification, the
church, or life and life abundantly."
(18)Bible
Versions by Jacob Prasch, 1999 "Modern Translations have been criticised by many believers,
and the book by Gail Riplinger (New Age Bible Versions) has
caused a stir in the Church. Is there a sound foundation to
these complaints?" We are not going to take up a lot
of space on this web site with this fruitless and divisive
issue. This article articulates our view on Gail Riplinger's
book which has needlessly caused all kind of division in the
church over issues that turn out to be non-issues. Also,
read this article called "Why
Respond To Gail Riplinger". One of the biggest apologetics
against other Bible versions other than the KJV is based on the
argument that there are, for instance, translation errors in the
NIV. However, there are also translation errors in the KJV.
So where does that leave us? If you want to really study the
Word, by all means study the original languages and make use of all good
translations! Read this article "The Biblical Position
on The KJV Controversy" by John MacArthur. For those of you who
may be reading this and are KJV-Onlyites, here are the kinds of
"Scriptures" you ought to be railing against, such as the "World
Scripture" and also this "Good
As
New" Bible! One good balanced series to read by Gary
E. Gilley is The
Bible
Translation Debate (Part 1) and The
Bible
Translation Debate (Part 2). Following are some other good
articles to read on this subject:
(19) The
Five
Basic Doctrines compiled and written by Sandy Simpson,
1999
A thorough examination of the five core doctrines of the Church and
how they compare to the teachings of other religions, cults and the
Third Wave false teachers. This is a paper you will want on
file as a reference. It also forms the basis for the
Deception In The Church web site apologetics.
(20) The
Letters
To The Seven Churches compiled and written by Sandy
Simpson, 1999
A Bible study of Revelation 1:9 � 3:22, the letters to the seven
churches. This study is especially timely for all Christians
today.
(21) The
Untouchables: Are 'God's Anointed' Beyond Criticism?
by Hendrik H. Hanegraaff, Viewpoint, Christian Research Journal,
Fall 1991 "During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted His
followers not to judge self-righteously or hypocritically. Is
this necessarily what Christians do when they question the
teachings of God's 'anointed' preachers and evangelists? Many
teachers who claim such anointing would say so, and many more of
their followers commonly reply to all manner of criticism: 'Touch not God's
anointed.'"
(23) Beyond
The
Limits by Roger Oakland, Understanding The Times
Newsletter, 1999 "Recently a number of Christians have claimed that the Holy
Spirit is falling upon people and causing them to do strange and
unusual things. Although Bible-believing Christians readily
acknowledge the miracle-working power of a supernatural God, the
question is: Can such bizarre and grotesque displays actually be
the work of the Holy Spirit?"
(24) The
Crucified
Life by Jacob Prasch, 1999 "People do not readily believe any more; they have seen too
much hypocrisy and falsehood. The one thing that can still
convince unbelievers of the truth of the gospel is a crucified
life."
(25) The
Sea
Of Subjectivity by Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment
Ministries Newsletter, March/April 1999 "When we leave the parameters of the Word of God, we drift onto
The Sea of Subjectivity. In this Sea, spirituality becomes
relative to whatever new revelation or vision that comes forth."
(27) Judge
With
Righteous Judgment by Craig Branch, Watchman
Fellowship,1995 "A very discouraging and destructive trend has been growing in
the body of Christ. The world has formed people into its mold
rather than the minds and lives of people being transformed by
God's word. Too many Christians have adopted pragmatism or
substituted feelings and experience in place of the truth of
God's word."
(28) Biblical
Reasons
For Leaving A Fellowship by James R Buchan, Vanguard
Magazine, 1999 "In the area of doctrine, I feel the Biblical teaching is that
the Christian definitely needs to leave in situations where
foundational truth is incorrect or ignored. Staying where a
false gospel is preached will do us no good."
(30) "Touch
Not
the Lord's Anointed" - Is the Command for Today? by
Thomas Williamson, Th.M, Ph.D., 1997 "It is clear that to touch the Lord's anointed is to commit an
act of physical violence against the one anointed by God. It
does not refer to those who verbally attack and criticize a
preacher and his doctrine. Such verbal attacks may be quite wrong and sinful, and in some cases they may be
commendable and necessary (see Jesus criticizing the Pharisees
in Matthew 23, Paul criticizing Peter in Galatians 2:14-21, Paul
versus the Judaizers in Galatians 5:12, Philippians 3:2, etc.) but they are not covered by the
idea "Touch not the Lord's anointed." A Baptist
perspective.
(31) A
Desperate Need For Correction by Dave Hunt, 1998
"Correction is one of the most conspicuously absent yet
essential ministries in the church today. There are those who
seek to avoid cor-rection by hiding behind a misapplication of
Christ's words, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Mt 7:1). It
is conveniently forgotten that these words were spoken by the
same One who warned the Jews to "judge righteous judgment' (Jn
7:24), told us to judge the fruit of prophets (Mt 7:16) and
promised His disciples that they would sit on thrones judging
Israel (Mt 19:28)."
(32) To
Judge Or Not To Judge: The Rights And Wrongs Of Biblical
Discernment by G. Richard Fisher, 1996 "Proper discernment is our privilege and right. The work is
worth the effort and the reward will be not only the favor and
blessing of God but our ability to truly enrich the lives of
others."
(34) Please
Contemplate
This by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call Newsletter,
03/00 "Have you ever found the biblical gospel in any of the classic or modern contemplative materials? Could there be any significance in the fact that this movement practically died out after the Reformation, only to be revived today! How does one discern whether or not the God being "heard" through the subjective, experiential mode of
communication is truly our Lord speaking�especially if the
authority and sufficiency of His Word is downplayed, even
rejected?"
(35) A
Critique of Experiencing God: A Biblical Analysis of the
Popular Book by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King
by Rev. Gil Rugh and the Pastoral Staff of Indian Hills Community
Church "In recent years, more than a million people have been
influenced by the popular book, Experiencing God, written
by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King. Many hold that this
book has finally given Christians the principles they need to
experience God as they never have before. But do the teachings
of this book accurately represent what the Bible says about
experiencing God, or are its teachings in serious error? To help
answer this question, Gil Rugh and the Pastoral Staff of Indian
Hills Community Church have written, A Critique of Experiencing
God: A Biblical Analysis of the Popular Book by Henry T.
Blackaby and Claude V. King. By pointing out many startling and
alarming statements within Experiencing God, this analytical
review shows how the teachings of Blackaby and King depart from
traditional Christianity in the areas of the nature of
Scripture, the person of Jesus Christ, and how Christians can
know God. " The above is a .pdf file. In all fairness
to this issue, I want to give a counterpoint here with an e-mail
I received from a pastor objecting to some of Rugh's arguments
against using "Experiencing God". It also includes a
response he received from Blackaby's organization that answers to
rumors that have been going around about Blackaby's alleged
involvement in the Third Wave movement.
(36) Warnings
Of
Deception In The Bible by Hughie Seaborn, 1999 "The Bible is replete with warnings as to what will take place
in Christendom during the 'end time' or the 'end of the age'. It speaks of a time of increasing deception and false
teaching as the enemy of our souls makes a last desperate bid to thwart the purposes of God. It describes the
types of people who will deceive, and be deceived. It also describes the types of doctrines that will be preached
and how those doctrines will be received by a great number of
professing Christians."
(37) Does
Romans 16:17 Demand Separation On the Basis Of Doctrine?
by David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service,
6/10/00 "There are two different interpretations of Romans 16:17-18
today. One understands it to be a warning about the sin of
divisiveness. The other understands it to be a warning about
those who teach false doctrine. Which is correct?"
(38) Should
Christians
Make Judgments? by Ed Vasicek, 6/00 "Sometimes the "L" word (label) is a good word. The "D" word
(discernment) is not only a good word, but is even a measurement
of spiritual maturity. Truth is meant to be put to work, and you
can't use it if you are afraid to get specific with it! Become a
person of discernment! Gullibility is for squares."
(39) Proving
All Things - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 by The Watchman
Expositor, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1999 "This scripture is arguably the most important passage in the
Bible for realizing the authority of the Bible in determining
doctrine and equipping Christians for salvation. Understanding
what this passage teaches, and the way in which some alternative
religions attempt to reinterpret the passage, is vital to all evangelical
encounters with members of new religions."
(40) Accountability:
The
Way To "Touch" God's Anointed by Clete Hux, The
Watchman Expositor, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1993 "Christians are to be accurate and balanced when giving
criticism. When a person or group that claims to be Christian
and yet seriously departs from the historical biblical doctrines
of orthodox Christianity, one cannot stand idly by in silence.
(Matt. 18:15-16). To not speak out would be dishonoring to God
and unloving, not only to Christians, but also to the
propagators of the error. When the Word of Faith (WOF)
movement's leaders, who through their own revelation knowledge,
bring extrabiblical doctrines into the church, one must be
prepared to respond correctly in accordance with God's revealed
will in scripture. Watchman Fellowship is not the first to call
attention to the unorthodox doctrines of the WOF movement,
sometimes known as the Positive Confession movement. Scores of
scholars for years have spoken out. Those include Dr. Walter
Martin, a charismatic theologian, and D. R. McConnell, also a
charismatic and author of the recent book, A Different Gospel.
Michael Horton, a well-known Christian author, has addressed the doctrinal issues in his book, The
Agony of Deceit, as well."
(41) Come
Ye
Out From Among Them by Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
Morning By Morning, June 27, pg. 181, Published 1984 "Come ye out from among them; be ye separate" (2 Corinthians
6:17).
(42) God
Never
Violates Our Freedom Of Choice by A.W. Tozer, Renewed
Day By Day, July 5 . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely. Revelation 22:17 The fact of our
creation as freewill beings goes to the heart of the false
revivals we see upon the church today. Would the Holy Spirit
force people to do things against their will? Uncontrollable
laughter, shaking and other purported Spirit induced phenomena,
when seen through the prism of freewill, become a moot
point. God does not force salvation or any other thing on
His creation. We are free to choose and are to be in our
right minds while making those choices at all times. This is
because there is a being that roams around like a lion seeking
whom he may devour. If anything eclipses our God given
freedom to choose, you can be sure that the source is not
God.
(43) The
Wisdom Of God In The Face Of Tribulation by Ed
Tarkowski, 7/00 "Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Seeing we are
going to live lives of trusting Him for all eternity, now would
be a good time to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work in us to
to make us individuals who trust their God to the fullest. Thus,
God can turn tribulation to do us good in the end in spite of
what we will have to go through."
(44) The
Dangerous
Dake Bible available at Inner-City Christian
Discernment Ministry, 2000 "As a former member of the Pentecostal Church of God in Ann
Arbor, I became familiar with the Dake study Bible and I was
urged to save up my money to purchase one. It is in
1,000's of homes and Finis Dake's books have helped form the
beliefs of many Pentecostal and Charismatic teachers on the
scene today. Dake was called a great Bible Scholar by the
late Lester Sumrall and Benny Hinn has been known to use Dake
"insights" in some of his more outlandish teachings. I trust you
will benefit from this Real Audio tape. If you enjoy this
teaching (and I am sure you will) I urge you to visit the PFO
web site and order this cassette and their other fine
materials." Access the tape in RealPlayer format here.
(45) Is
It
Right To Judge? by Franklin G. Huling, M.A.,
8/00 "The question �Is it right to judge?� is one that puzzles many
sincere Christians. A careful and open-minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital
matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge. Many do not know that the Scripture commands us to
judge."
(46) A
Guide To Testing The Spirits by Tom Smith,
8/26/00 "This document was put together, as a guide to help in some
simple testing of these matters. This is by no means any
substitute for studying and becoming familiar with the
scriptures, but it is intended to be a guide for a new
Christian, or a quick summary or reminder for a Christian who has studied scripture for a number of years. I also do not
claim that what is in here is complete - it is only intended as
a guide."
(47) A
New Decalogue - Thou Shalt Not Disagree by A. W.
Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, June 25 "A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our
day, the first word of which reads, "Thou shalt not disagree";
and a new set of Beatitudes too, which begins "Blessed are they
that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made accountable
for anything."
(48) Bible
Or
Babel? by Dr. David Allen, Vanguard Magazine, Issue
12, 8/00 "In just nine verses, at the beginning of Genesis chapter 11,
the inspired writer tells a story that stands as a warning for
all time � the story of the rise and fall of the Tower of Babel.
A literary tour de force and the inspiration of numerous
canvases, it is its message that chiefly concerns us today."
(49) How
Many
Gospels Are There? by Tony Pearce, Vanguard Magazine,
Issue 6 "Gnosticism dressed up as New Age presents no moral challenge
to repentance and faith as authentic Christianity does.
Therefore it can fit in well with the permissive immoral
lifestyle adopted by our age and ceaselessly propagated by the
mass media."
(50) Time
To Leave The Playpenby Andrew Gould, 10/00 "When
I hear the phrase �that was so unloving�, sometimes I want to
scream!"
(51) The
Call
To Discipleshipby Dave Hunt, The Berean Call
Newsletter, 11/00 "Christ didn't say, "Follow someone or some church claiming
they represent Me." He said, "Follow me ... Learn of me" (Jn
1:43; Mt 11:29). We go to His Word to learn of Him. Each of us
is expected to know it thoroughly. Yet many who think of
themselves as Christians scarcely study the Bible seriously,
expecting the pastor and Bible teachers to do that for them "
(52) Watchmen
Who
Are Not Watchmenby Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
1/01 "We need people who are bible based, and who operate valid
discernment ministries to alert the church and give
understanding to the many, as Daniel predicted by the Holy
Spirit would rise up."
(53) MOVING
THE GOALPOSTS - The Unfolding Tragedy of the New
Evangelicalismby Alan Morrison, Diakrisis,
2/00 "At one time there was just one orthodox, biblical view on a
number of issues which were part of the fundamentals of the
faith. These were generally agreed on, throughout the entire
evangelical constituency. But all that has gradually changed. We
have arrived at a situation now in which people who all profess
to be evangelicals can have a wide variety of opinions on what
were, at one time non-negotiable, essentially fundamental
matters. How have professing evangelicals got into this
situation? It has happened because people have "moved the
goalposts" -- changed the rules which determine what is truth
and what it isn't. In this 17,000 word article, based on two
lectures, we ask 1) In which areas have the goalposts been
moved? 2) What are the motives for moving them? 3)
Is there any action we can take to restore those goalposts to
their original situation?"
(54) TBN's
Bible Code - The Bible Code Or Babel Code?by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason, 3/00 "This is all mysticism and Gnostic interpretations. It takes us
away from the clear interpretation and applicational teaching of
the Bible."
(55) "Judge
Rightly"
Is Not Some Guy's Name!by Bob Enyart Live, Inc.,
Copyright � 1997 - 2000 All Rights Reserved. "An absurd question has stymied the Church. Should Christians
judge? Of course believers should judge. To not judge is
to be indecent, not to mention inhuman. The only kingdom in
which there is no judging is the plant kingdom. For of living
things, vegetables do not judge. In the animal kingdom, though,
judgment is a must, and members of the Kingdom of God must do
the most judging. "
(55) The
New
Powerless Gospelby Sandy Simpson, Deception In The
Church, 4/19/01 "I have been challenged lately to think again about what the
Gospel message is all about. This has come as a result of
hearing what I consider to be, at the very least, "gospel lite"
and at the most no gospel at all being presented by a number of
neo-evangelicals, Third Wavers and outright heretics. The
interesting thing is that many seem to be preaching the same
message. What is most intriguing is that false
teachers like Benny Hinn, ecumenicals, and even some preachers I
would consider to be orthodox in their theology are preaching a
"gospel" that is very similar. The question is: Is this new
gospel message really the Gospel at all?"
(56) Biblical
New
Testament Prayersby Sandy Simpson, Deception In The
Church, 5/7/01 "With all the talk about "praying the Jabez prayer" making the
rounds in so many churches, I thought it was time to revisit a
short section I wrote in a booklet called "What
Should
I Say". It talked about biblical New Testament
prayers. These are prayers that the apostles and
Christians prayed. Since Christ and the apostles are our
foundation, we ought to be emulating what they prayed and not
some guy who prayed a prayer in the Old Testament that was never
meant to be a model prayer. If you are interested in a
model prayer then go to the Disciple's Prayer (most often called
the Lord's Prayer) in Matthew 6:9-13."
(57) The
Importance
Of Sound Doctrineby A.W. Tozer, The Best Of A.W.
Tozer, pg. 174-176, taken from Man, The Dwelling Place
Of God "It would be impossible to overemphasize the importance of
sound doctrine in the life of a Christian. Right thinking
about all spiritual matters is imperative if we would have right
living. As men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of
thistles, so sound character does not grow out of unsound
teaching."
(58) A
Cross-less Christianity, A Christless Christianityby
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 5/01 "All of Christianity begins and centers upon the person of
Jesus and his work on the cross. It was Paul who said the
cross was everything to him. He had a greater education,
knowledge, and revelation than any other apostle, even of those
who knew Jesus personally in the flesh, having been called
before him. Yet all he wanted to know was summed up in one
saying, �Jesus Christ and him crucified."
(59) Pragmatism
Goes
To Churchby A.W. Tozer, "God Tells The Man Who
Cares", from The Best Of A.W. Tozer, 1980, pgs.
254-256 "...this philosophy of pragmatism has had and is having a
powerful influence upon Christianity in the middle years of this
century."
(60) Naming
Names:
A Biblical Approachby Kevin Reeves, 2/02 "In these last days the proliferation of false teachings
assaulting both the Church and Scriptural integrity requires a
closer look at how those promoting such doctrines should be
dealt with. While no one with a genuine desire to follow Christ
should eagerly want to accuse another of error in ministry, the
prophets of the Old Testament, our Lord Jesus Himself, and the
apostles make it clear that many will come in the name of the
Lord who profess to follow Him, yet by their teachings actually
deny or present a different image of God than what is
demonstrated in the Scriptures."
(61) Bible
Studiesat Biblical Studies Foundation
Excellent resource for all kinds of Bible studies all the way from
the ABC's
For Christian Growth to studies on Bible characters,
theology and many other areas for Christian growth.
(62) Servant
Authorityby Sandy Simpson, 10/99 "The church does not have the same system as the world. No
lords, no kings, no dictators. Our only King, Lord and Master is
Jesus Christ. The rest of us are servants -- slaves."
(63)
Mistake
Or
Sin?by Sandy Simpson, 3/13/02 "Words have meanings. Third Wave false teachers are
currently in the process of redefining both the English language
and the truths of God's Word, and calling it "new revelation"
and a "paradigm shift". Let's all be careful that we don't
take a paradigm shift into foolishness and accept new revelation
that drags us further into sin."
(64)There
Is
A Finality In The Biblical Revelationby A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day Vol. 1, April 16 "Whoever, for whatever reason, denies the finality of the
biblical revelation and insists upon a continuing revelation
having the same authority as the sacred Scriptures has shut
himself out from the name of Christian! He is simply not a
Christian in the scriptural and historic meaning of the
word."
(65) The
Biblical
Basis Of Divisionby Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
2002 "There are cases where biblically we must divide. The Holy
Spirit is the spirit of truth, not of error, and He is the
spirit of holiness, not immorality. And where apostasy, with its
twin pillars of heresy and immorality is found, God�s true
people will not be found. There are cases where divisions are
permissible (howbeit not necessarily desirable), but we must
exercise the greatest caution not to equate personal differences with doctrinal differences or attempt to ascribe a
biblical motive for something where none exists."
(66)
How
To
Discern, Test & Judge Rightlyby Sandy Simpson,
7/30/02 Let me start this
article by telling you what methods are being used for
"discernment" today that have no biblical support, then I
will move on to the ways in which the Bible does tell us to
test teaching, prophesy and actions.
(68) Anti-spirits
&
False Teachingby Shirley Ann Miller, From the book,
"Anti-Spirits and False Teaching" and Lampholder Ezine series on
"Mind Control ", Lampholder Publications, 2002 Remember: Always investigate the source and test the spirits
"...to see whether they are of God...(1 John 4:1).
(69) Strange
Fire
& False Anointing - How To Protect Yourself From
Wolves by Jeanette Haley, Gentle Shepherd
Ministries, 8/02 Finally, ask the Lord to give you a love for the truth. Ask Him
to give you a fixed heart. And pray you never, ever fall prey to
any kind of delusion.
(70) THE
TEACHING
OF THE LORD TO THE GENTILES BY THE TWELVE APOSTLES (also
known as DIDACHE) Translated by J.B. Lightfoot,
Adapt. and mod. (c) 1990, ATHENA DATA PRODUCTS
This is not Scripture, but is a historical document on the
teachings of the twelve apostles. Noitce that apparently
they had "televangelists" in the first and second centuries who
plied people for money. Pay attention to what is said about
false prophets, especially the following: "And whosoever shall
say in the Spirit, Give me silver or anything else, ye shall not
listen to him; but if he tell you to give on behalf of others
that are in want, let no man judge him." Obviously we are
to test false prophets, but if they are found to be true then we
don't judge them. This does not mean that we do not test,
discern and judge all prophesy according to the Scriptures as the
Bereans tested Paul, but it means that we must accept true
prophesy and stay away from false prophets who ask for money and
lie in the name of the Lord."
(71) Exposing
Doctrinal
Errors: Heresy Hunting or Biblical Mandate? at Truth
Watch New Zealand, originally produced by the Christian Research
Institute (CRI) We would, therefore, do well to heed Scripture�s explicit
warnings to be on guard for false teachings (Romans 16:17-18; 1
Timothy 1:3-4; 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Titus 1:9; 2:1), and to
point them out to brothers and sisters in Christ (2 Timothy
4:6).
(72) How
To Recognize A Good Church by Mike Lloyd, based on a
study by Richard W. De Haan, Truth Watch New Zealand Within the Christian community there is a wide divergence of
opinion, division, and even fierce competition among the
different groups. Subsequently, many believers are confused
about which church is the right one to belong to and which
church being closest to the truth is therefore worthy of their
support.
(73) Don't
Touch
the Lord's Anointed! by Chris Good, Truth Watch New
Zealand, 10/02 "Don't touch the Lord's anointed" is a common cry levelled
against people who are trying to uphold Scripture by testing
their leaders' teaching and practice against the Word. However,
if this is a valid defence - why do we never see the Apostle or
other leaders of the New Testament churches resorting to this
argument? Is it possible that this phrase is being misused to
justify an authoritarian leadership?
(74)Blasphemy
against
the Holy Spirit? by Chris Good, Truth Watch New
Zealand, 10/02 A common criticism levelled against those
who seek to test modern claims to prophecy, miracles and
healings by God's Word is that we are in danger of
'blaspheming against the Holy Spirit'. This is a very serious
charge, which (if true) would mean that such people cannot be
saved! Indeed, many are so intimidated by this charge that
they bury any doubts, relying on the claimant's
self-proclamation for proof of the validity of the claims,
rather than testing it by the Word.
(75) Do
not judge, lest you be judged! by Chris Good, Truth
Watch New Zealand, 10/02 There are a lot of accusations going
around in Christian circles about people "judging" other
people and not being "tolerant". Often the passage above
(Matt. 7:1-3) is cited to support those bringing new teachings
and practices into the church. Indeed, in our post-modern age
- the greatest sin is "intolerance" and it seems this is also
increasingly the case in many churches. Anyone who wants to
critique something is instantly dismissed as 'judgemental' (so
much for tolerance then!).
(76) What
Is The True Gospel? by Al Dagar, Media Spotlight
Ministries When Jesus came He proclaimed what He called the Gospel of the
Kingdom. The English word �gospel� means �good news.� It derives
from the Greek euangelion (Eng., �evangel�). In the Bible the
Gospel is the �good news� of the Kingdom of God and of salvation
to eternal life, received by faith in Jesus Christ on the basis
of His expiatory death, His burial, resurrection, ascension and
coming again.
(77) Apologetics
And
The Dying Of Reason by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason Ministries, 12/02 What is it and how do we incorporate it in our lives.
(78) Discernment
by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/02 The watchman ministry inside the church and the importance of
discernment in the times we live in.
(79) Watchmen
Arise by Steve Mitchell, Answers For India,
12/02 An article that will encourage those who pursue the rejected
spiritual practice of discernment.
(81) Cheap
Grace
vs. The Pearl Of Great Price - An Expose Of Easy-Believismby
Alan P. Medinger and Regeneration, In Plain Site, 1995 Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring
repentance, baptism without discipline, communion without
confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace
is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. - Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
(82) Those
Who
Are Born Again by the Holy Spirit Continue In The Faith -- The
Easy-Believism "Converts" Do Notby Brother
Robinson, Santa Clarita Bible Baptist There is a heresy that is being taught that says a person may
"get saved," live a Christian life for a certain length of time,
and then "get lost" again. Others teach that a person may
"get saved" and live a Christian life for a time and then go
back to his old ways. He goes back to sins and cannot be
distinguished from a lost person. This school of thought
affirms that such a person will still go to heaven when he dies
because he is still saved (even though "carnal"). Let us
look at the Scriptures which make it very clear what the truth
is concerning this matter of salvation.
(83) What
Constitutes
"Saving
Faith"?by Sandy Simpson, 1/30/03 There are many who claim to be saved today. Ultimately
only God knows who is saved (eternal security) and we can have
assurance of salvation through a commitment to holding on to
faith (conditional security). But what constitutes a saving
faith?
(85) Beware
The
Counsel Of Gamaliel!by Dr.
Peter Masters: SWORD & TROWELL, The Metropolitan Tabernacle,
Issue: 1995, No. 3. Fellow believers--be warned and beware of the counsel of
Gamaliel!
(86) The
Lord's
Prayer, Our Prayerby Sandy
Simpson, 2000 But this prayer is
more than an outline. It is not some thing we are to
repeat mindlessly to get what we want from God. It is
a prayer that should be at the very heart of our faith in
the Lord. We show our complete worship and submission
to our Father. We ask Him to meet our needs. We
don't just expect Him to forgive us but we also forgive
others. We ask Him to protect and deliver us from the
evil one. We are completely dependant on Him for
everything.
(86) The
Blessed
Three-in-One: The Christian Doctrine of the Trinity Proven
from Scriptureby Alan
Morrison, 2003 The doctrine
concerning the Trinitarian nature of God is probably one of
the most misunderstood teachings of the Christian faith.
This is hardly surprising. Firstly, the doctrine is rarely
preached on and therefore there is a great deal of ignorance
about it. Secondly, because of its seeming complexity and
difficulty to be adequately comprehended, people assume it
must be an invented teaching with no biblical references.
Thirdly, because it is such a vital teaching � the very
heart and revelation of true divinity and deity � it is
especially vulnerable to attack. In this brief paper, it is
not our purpose to concentrate on the historical
controversies. There is a great deal of theological and
historical literature already devoted to this. Our main
concern here is to redress the rejection of Trinitarian
teaching by many sincere Christians.
(87) Tares
(Darnel) by Ed Tarkowski, STAND & COMFORT
Newsletter, #44 (Vol 3 No 11) Some are obviously darnel, while with others, it takes time to
make the distinction. This I know for sure: the One who planted
the good seed which bears fruit will come back to harvest His
wheat, and not one grain of darnel will be found in the barn.
(88) The
Role
Of Women In The Church by Sandy Simpson,
7/03 If men were exercising true biblical authority over their
daughters and wives in love, the debate over the role of women
in the Church would not be such an issue. If women today were
submissive to their husbands, we would not have many of the
problems we have today in the Church.
(89) Admit,
Commit
& Submit by Sandy Simpson, 7/03
A study in the difference between the biblical Gospel and what is
being preached in many churches today.
(90) Thou
Shalt
Not Judge? by Paul Proctor, 7/25/03 �Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful.� - Proverbs 27:6
(91) Exposing
Error:
Is It Worthwhile? by Harry A. Ironside
Exposing error is most unpopular work. But from every true
standpoint it is worthwhile work
(92) Why
Halfway
Christianity Will Not Work by Dean &
Laura VanDruff, Acts 17:11 God likes the Gospel. It is one of His favorite things, His
favorite melody, His overarching theme, what He thinks is really
cool. It is nonsense to carnal men, but the very power of God to
those who are being saved. It is oft fussed over in theory, like
the tombs of the prophets decorated by the "Sons of Satan" in
Jesus' day, but rarely tried. Will you, really? It works.
(93) Measuring
The Mixture by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp,
The Plumbline, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2003 The Gospel is the
core of the Church's message; the Church is to proclaim the
true, pure Gospel recipe with no additives, no deletions, no
distortion, no reversal. Each individual Christian
(together, the Church) must "measure the mixture." That
means each Christian must know the Gospel--know it well
enough to realize when something is not right. Even if
it is unpopular and viewed as arrogant presumption, we must
post the warning signs of clear biblical teaching. We
must, in loving and humble obedience to Christ, always be
measuring the mixture!
(94)For
The TRUTH by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/03 How important is the truth in a time of deception?
(95) Are
You Tithing? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/03 What does the New Testament REALLY teach on the tithe and
money.
(96) God
Would
Save Us From Spiritual Delusion by A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day, September 23 THERE ARE AREAS OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT�and because of thought
then also of life, where likenesses and differences are so
difficult to distinguish that we are often hard put to escape
complete deception!
(97) The
Truth And Nothing But The Truth by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/03 Truth is a rare commodity these days. In a world filled with
opinions, lies and deceit, the truth is often overlooked and
ignored. Relative truth has become a fixation in our society and
it is no different for those seeking to be religious or
spiritual; it has become their friend.
(98) Use
And
Misuse Of Scripture by Gary Gilley,
9/03 Those who desire God�s approval must handle accurately, or
literally, �cut straight,� the word of truth. They
diligently study the Bible in order to interpret it correctly
and then apply it properly.
(99) God
Doesn't
Want Your Sacrifices - He Wants Your Obedience!
by Sandy Simpson, 2/9/04 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the
voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed
is better than the fat of rams.
(100) The
Vanishing
Gospel by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call
Newlsetter, 2/04 And to attract those thus corrupted, many of the largest and
fastest-growing churches mimic the world in "seeker-friendly"
and "youth-oriented" services that exploit sensuality and
compromise the truth.
(101) Sixteen
Facts
Everyone Should Know About Israel by Jacob
Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 2004 If you are a Christian you need to stand by Israel, and support
Israel as much as possible. God's ancient promise in Genesis
12:3 is still very much in effect: "I will bless those who bless
you, and the one who curses you I will curse." And God, speaking
to Israel, promises, "Behold, all those who are angered at you
will be shamed and dishonoured; those who contend with you will
be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel
with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be
as nothing and non-existent " (Isaiah 41:11-12).
(102) Tithing
by Chris De Wet, Moriel Ministries, 2004 There is a lot of confusion taking place with regard to Bible
doctrines today. One of the topics, is the question on tithing.
Where did it originate and what does it mean today? Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(103) Let's
Take
A Look At The "Judge Not" Argument For A Moment!by
Sandy Simpson, 6/3/04 It's very interesting to me how Christians are quick, these
days, to pull out the old "judge not lest you be judged" excuse
when they are angry at you for warning people away from their
favorite false teachers and false prophets by name. They
come down on those who test the spirits (1 Jn. 4:1), discern
truth from error (Phil. 1:9-11, Prov. 3:21) and judge rightly
(Jn. 7:24) when those are ways in which God has told us we ARE
to judge. They use the "judge not" ploy to make themselves
look like they are holier-than-thou and above the fray, and in
so doing they are already in violation of Matt. 7:1 because they
are judging those they say are being judgmental
hypocritically. But think about the ways in which we all
tend to judge in a whole variety of unbiblical ways every day.
(104) The
Overseer
- A Study In Titus 1:6-11by Sandy Simpson,
6/25/04 There once was a shepherd who loved his flock of sheep.
He fed them and watered them. He bathed them and tended to
their hurts. The only trouble is he did not build a
protected fence around their home. He had a habit of going
to sleep at night leaving no one to guard them. They had
always been safe in the past, but one night wolves came.
In the morning when he woke up many of the sheep were missing or
dead. That day he built a fence and made sure there was
always someone there to guard the sheep at night.
(105) Building
Up
The Bodyby Gary Gilley, Think On The Things, July
2004 One of the most insightful of recent books concerning the
church is actually written by an unbeliever. Alan Wolfe, a
social scientist, has been observing the changing American
religious scene for years. Last year he shared his
research in The Transformation of American Religion. The
message of his book is that �religion in the United States is
being transformed in radically new directions.� [1]
Wolfe claims, �Talk of Hell, damnation, and even sin has been
replaced by a nonjudgmental language of understanding and
empathy. Gone are the arguments over doctrine and theology�.
More Americans than ever proclaim themselves born again in
Christ, but the Lord to whom they turn rarely gets angry and
frequently strengthens self-esteem. [As a result] the
faithful in the United States are remarkably like everyone
else.� [2]
(106) Losing My
Discernmentby Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/31/04 A new song the church is singing.
(107) The
Diminishing Message Of The Crossby Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 8/31/04 Welcome to a new era of rock stars, movie stars and their
producers.
(108) Seeds,
Soil
& Fruitby Sandy Simpson, 9/19/04 Some seeds have been genetically altered. Something has
been added to the seed to produce a certain result. What
has been added is indoctrination, brainwashing, diaprax, false
prophecy, false apostolic edicts, false anointings. These
additives produce seeds that will, in turn, grow bad trees,
producing bad fruit, which in turn produce more bad seeds as the
process renews itself over and over again.
(113) The
End
Of The World by Bill Randles, Believers In Grace
Ministries, 11/04
A meditation on Isaiah 24 by Pastor Bill Randles. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(114) Paul's
Mars Hill Approach by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/1/04
What did Paul actually do to
proclaim the gospel on Mars Hill?
(115) Love
for
an Offensive Gospel by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, November 2004 - Volume 10, Issue 11 What would provoke an evangelical, evangelistic-minded church
to so alter the gospel message as to gut it of, as Carson says,
�its historical and biblical sense?� Almost certainly
their motivation is a noble one � the desire to see people get
saved. But they fear that very few will respond to a
gospel which calls sin �sin� and identifies unbelievers as
ungodly, rebellious enemies of God.
(116) The
Duties
Of Christian Leadership by Sandy Simpson,
1/12/05 Christians, and especially Christian leadership, are called to
be salt and light in a dark world.
(117) Getting
Glory
for God�or for Ourselves? by A.W. Tozer, Renewed Day
By Day, January 22 I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO BE MATURE enough to confess that many
have been converted to Christ and have come into the church
without wrestling with that basic human desire for honor and
praise. As a result, some have actually spent a lifetime in
religious work doing little more than getting glory for
themselves!
(118) True
Vine,
True Fruit -- False Vine, False Fruit by Sandy
Simpson, 2/2/05 There is one true Vine, that is Jesus Christ. Those
attached to this Vine, who have a connected relationship to the
Vine through obedience, will be branches that bear true fruit.
At the core of maturity in Christ is the issue
of training to be able to distinguish between good and evil,
right and wrong. But in today�s churches this issue has not only
been downplayed, but actually swept aside.
Those who are mature in Christ are those
who are reaching unity in the Faith and in the knowledge of
the Son of God. Those who are not mature strive for
ecumenical or interfaith unity thinking that they are
growing in the Lord, and it is usually a point of pride to
them. But they have mistaken what Paul was talking about.
Unity in the Faith is talking about coming to a common
understanding and practice of the core truths of the Faith
as taught to us in the Bible through Jesus Christ and the
Apostles.
The reign of King Asa, God�s warning to
good men. God�s warning to good women. God�s warning to
all of us, but especially God�s warning to good leaders
and to good pastors.
In many churches around the world the concept
of "worship" has been redefined and narrowed to mean the time
when Christians come together to sing songs, raise their
hands, dance around, and get all excited about the Lord
together in church. For most of the younger
postmodernist relativistic generation the concept of "worship"
has become a thing you do once or twice a week to absolve
yourself of guilt. The more you can work yourself into a
state of bliss in feeling like you are really achieving a
state of "worship" by letting yourself go in the music and
rhythm of the "worship" time, the more you can justify what
you are doing the rest of the week when you are not
"worshipping" God. This "worship" then becomes an excuse
and justification process whereby Christians can rid
themselves of the guilt of not obeying the Lord in their
lives. This is not to say that true worship is not done
in the time now called "worship". It can be a time of
worship, but worship without obedience is no worship at
all.
Anointed expository preaching is
absolutely necessary if the church is to experience true
revival, Stephen Olford recently said at The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary.
I'm going to warn you now. I am
going to let you in on some information tonight that
is going to radically change your world view.
You are likely going to experience the beginnings of a
reverse paradigm shift and after tonight there will be
no way to go back the way you came. You will be
faced with choices that you may never have known you
had. You will be faced with a new way of looking
at things that is going to cause you to rethink
everything that is being taught in the Emerging Latter
Rain churches. It is going to be radical because
the basis for this message doesn't come from Jesus
Christ visiting my room last night bodily, but from
His holy written Word. So buckle down your seat
belts, you're likely in for a bumpy ride!
Should biblical Christian
churches be Christ-centered
(Christocentric)? Should the doctrines of
the Father (Patriology) and the Holy Spirit
(Pnematology) also be equally emphasized?
Can a church be Patriocentric or Pnemacentric and
be biblical?
(127) Have
You Been Saved by the Gospel? by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/26/05 Do you really understand the
gospel of grace or have we come another way to Christ?
(128) A
Departure from Sound Doctrine by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/27/05 What the church is now facing
in epidemic proportions.
(131) The
Disappearing Doctrine Of The Evangelical Church by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming The
Gospel Ministries, 9/16/05 This newsletter is often used
to correct the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic
Church but in this issue we will address the disappearing
doctrine of the Evangelical Church. Many professing
Christians now think it doesn't really matter what you
believe, as long as you label it Christianity. Their only
test for becoming a Christian is a simple acceptance of
Jesus as a historical figure. In our post-modern church,
doctrine is out and tolerance is in. We are told that for
the sake of unity, doctrine should not be tested or
contested. We are not supposed to draw any definitive
lines or declare any absolutes. Doctrinal and moral issues
which were once painted black and white, are now seen as
gray. The state of the church is now in a state of
confusion.
(132) Philippians
Study by Sandy
Simpson, 10/01/05
Ten study series on the book of
Philippians!
(133) Explain
Or
Explain Away?by Sandy
Simpson, 10/25/05 A proper balance of Biblical teaching, as demonstrated by
the Apostles, is to both explain God's Word (good
hermeneutics, exegesis) and to explain away false
teachings of any particular passage (polemics and/or
apologetics).
(134) Men
With No Reputation On Earth by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/16/05 Those whom God recognizes are doing His work.
(136)The
Necessity
of Separation from Heresyby Jewel Grewe,
Discernment Ministries, Discernment Newsletter, Volume 17,
Number 1, January/February 2006 This neo-evangelical �repudiation of separation,� and its
resultant seduction into heresy, is indicative of the
condition of the Church in the last days. Jude 18 warns that
there will be mockers in the last time who should walk after
their own ungodly lusts. Paul prepared Timothy for the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Tim.
3-4). The sinful nature of man wants to justify sin, even to
the extent of finding false teachers to teach ear-tickling
fables. 1 Peter 1:13 advises believers to gird up the loins
of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Peter further admonishes that the end of all things
is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer
(vs. 4:7).
(137)Earnestly
Contendby Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
01/04/06 Hundreds of fulfilled prophecies prove God�s existence,
that the Bible is His inerrant Word, the Jews His chosen
people, and Jesus of Nazareth the promised Messiah who died
for our sins, has resurrected, and is coming again. Yet
prophecy is neglected by most Christian preachers and
writers. No wonder that the �last-days� apostasy warned of
in God�s Word is now upon us with a vengeance!
(138)How
to
Avoid Heresy by Discernment Research Group,
Herescope, 01/05/06 Neo-evangelicalism relies upon marketing strategies to
spread its leaven. For over a century American consumers
have been trained by advertising to buy anything new � a new
detergent, a new vacuum cleaner, a new style of dress, a new
car, a new computer. In the same way, New Evangelicalism has
advertised all of its doctrines, methods and teachings as
�new.� There is therefore a very simple, easy way to avoid
the heresies of neo-evangelicalism.
(139)Is
It Right:To Judge, To Expose Error & To Call Names?
by Pastor E. L. Bynum, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Lubbock,
Texas, 1/06 Many today believe that it is wrong to expose error and to
name names. Liberals have always seemed to believe this, but
in recent times it has been widely espoused by evangelicals
and charismatics. Now we are seeing the same fatal error
being declared by those who profess to be Bible believing
fundamentalists. Those who are faithful in exposing error
according to the Bible are now being widely denounced, and
are accused of being unloving and unkind. We intend here to
present the teaching of the Bible on this vital
subject.
(140)Deviant
Worship by Mark Minnick, Frontline, March/April
1997, Vol 7 N 2 This is the age of the "designer church," the "fellowship
community," the "family worship center." But is all that
calls itself "worship" acceptable to God? What is the
benchmark of true worship? Is it sincerity? A positive
experience? A good feeling? A full auditorium? Or is there
an objective standard by which we can measure what pleases
God in this regard?
(141)Pastors
Who Compromise Their Call by Steve Cornell, Senior
Pastor, Millersville Bible Church, 2/06 Scripture speaks with clarity and directness about sin and
salvation; godliness and ungodliness; heaven and hell. You
are welcome to reject such teaching or to try to make it a
matter of personal interpretation, but one day you will
answer to God for offering a revision of His truth. There is
a great need today for pastors who refuse to compromise
their call to speak the truth in love.
(142)Satan's
Six
Strategic Assaults on the Christian Faith by Mike
Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel, Jan/Feb 2006 Some evangelical leaders have been joyfully announcing
there is a great spiritual revival taking place in our
country. However, a closer and more discern�ing look reveals
there is a countless mfiltra�tion of deceivers masquerading
as messen�gers of Christ who are counterfeiting the
Christian faith. �And no wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light.� (2 Cor. 11:14). These legions
of liars are all part of Satan�s insidious assault on the
only true faith. Satan�s ultimate goal is to thwart God�s
harvest of lost souls by holding them captive with his fatal
lies. His relentless at�tacks are strategically aimed at six
targets: The Supremacy of God�s Word, The Sufficiency of
God�s Son, The Singularity of God�s Gospel, The Sovereignty
of God�s Grace, The Security of God�s Children, The Sanctity
of God�s Church
(143)The
Trinity tract produced by Calvary Chapel,
2006
The doctrine of the Trinity explained in simple terms. A
good tract to give out on the subject. For a more detailed
explanation of this doctrine, read The Five Basic Doctrines here.
(144)The
Prayer
Of Faith by Derald Skinner, Calvary Chapel,
2006 The prayer of faith is answered because God has promised to
answer our requests when we start (the following).
(145)�Touch
Not
The Lord�s Anointed?� � Give Me A Break!!by
Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE
BEREAN: Volume Seven March 2006 IN DEFENSE OF THE TBN ELITE I recently received an e-mail
from a very angry person. What did I do to set off their
anger? What did I say? Well, My guess is because it was due
to one of my previous newsletters in regards to TBN. That�s
right! I had the complete audacity to dare speak against the
great spiritual giant TBN! I would like to share this e-mail
with you and give my reply in this newsletter, considering
the fact that this person did not want a reply from me (as
you will see at the end of the e-mail). So hold on to your
hats, here we go!
(146)From
Traitor
to Hero? Responding to the "Gospel of Judas"by
Albert Mohler, Friday, April 07, 2006 Informed Christians will be watchful and aware when
confronting churches or institutions that present spurious
writings, rejected as heretical by the early church, on the
same plane as the New Testament. The verdict of
Athanasius, one of the greatest leaders of the early church,
still stands: "Let no man add to these, neither let him take
ought from these, for concerning these the Lord put to shame
the Sadducees, and said, 'Ye do err, not knowing the
Scriptures.' And He reproved the Jews, saying, 'Search the
Scriptures, for these are they that testify of Me.'"
(147) Do
you Love or Hate the truth? by Mike Oppeneheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 5/20/06 Where do you stand on what is taking place?
(148) Holding
Pastors
Accountable by Steve Camp, 6/06 Though elder-rule is a good biblical concept, the term can
be misleading and doesn't accurately represent the
Scriptural heart of biblical leadership. Rule too many times
suggests unquestioned authority, religious despotism, or
spiritual heavy-handedness. However, the office and title of
elder is quite different; it is one of
servant-leadership.
(149) The
Current
Downgrade in the Doctrine of the Atonement by
David H. Linden, Action International Ministries, 6/06 The gospel is fading in our consciousness and
understanding. It is ordinary and commonplace. It is our
assumed treasure (we would all sat that!) but it is still
the object of our neglect. When I say the gospel slipping,
Hebrews corrects me to state the issue more sharply, that it
is we who are slipping not the gospel. The gospel is the
dock to which we must be tied. The dock is not floating away
from us; we are drifting away from it. There is only one
place to drift when we stray from the sacrifice of Christ,
and that is into hell itself. Such is the warning of
Hebrews. We are presented with this great salvation that
must not be ignored, as in Hebrews 2, OR it is the consuming
fire when the Lord will judge His people, as in Hebrews 10.
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God, Hebrews 10:31. Yet the gospel is that Christ by the
grace of God fell into the hands of God for us. On the cross
He faced the consuming fire our sins earned for Him.
(150) Imputation
by Warren Doud, Grace Notes, 6/06 Imputation is a wonderful principle of the Plan of God, and
you have been involved with imputation since the day you
were saved.
(151) Discernment
in
an Age of Deception - Defining the Believer's Biblical
Call to Judge by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues
Commentary, Issue 94 - May / June 2006 Many times, after publishing an article that disputes the
claims of someone's published work, I am asked if I had
talked to the person privately. There are those who claim
that debating ideas in the public arena should not happen
unless there was a prior Matthew 18 process of adjudication.
It is my position that Matthew 18 does not apply to the
public interaction of theological ideas. In this paper, I
shall examine various New Testament passages that explain
what we must and must not judge.
(152) Scriptures
For
Our Times by Berit Kjos, Kjos Ministries,
7/06 God's people have always tended to drift toward earth-based
religions (various blends of pantheism, polytheism and
monism) whenever apathy dimmed their desire for Biblical
truth. But never before have occult beliefs and practices
been promoted as shrewdly as today--nor have God's people
been more ignorant of their dangers or more vulnerable to
their lures. As deception spreads, let us heed God's Old
Testament warnings as well as His New Testament prophecies.
(153) Today's
Christianity:
Let Us Entertain You! by Michael C. Gaudiosi - The
Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Eleven - July
2006 There is no mention in the New Testament that Jesus or the
apostles ever tried to make the Gospel appealing to the
masses by entertainment, or to make it a more positive,
feel-good message. They never used gimmicks, games or free
giveaways. If you want to see a great example in the Bible
of how people reacted to Jesus� preaching, read John chapter
six. He lost a lot of so-called �followers� because they
considered His preaching of the truth as a �hard saying�
which was not positive, or what they wanted to hear! Jesus
was not concerned about offending people or if His numbers
would drop (which of course they did!).
(154) Another
Perspective
For Your Consideration by Ken Silva, Apprising
Ministries, 8/2/06 In this piece I�m going to present a brief synopsis of a
point of view that has become all too common in the
evangelical community today concerning those of us in the
field of discernment being critical of another�s
ministry.
(155) Redefining
Jesus? by Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research
Network, Newsletter, August 2006 More than any other time in history, the world today is
filled with false ideas and concepts of who Jesus Christ
really is. What Paul the Apostle called �another Jesus,
another spirit, and another gospel� is plaguing the world
with full force as people on all six continents and every
walk of life have �redefined Jesus�.
(156) Quoting
Heretics:
The New Trend for Christian Authors by Ingrid
Schlueter, Slice of Laodicea, 8/3/06 Either these people do not read the material they quote,
which is absurd, or they don't care that they are quoting
someone who long ago left the Christian faith of the Bible.
When cardinal doctrinal issues are at stake, I do not ever
want to favorably quote someone to make a point. What about
those who like the quotes Dr. Jeremiah uses from Sue Monk
Kidd in his book, Life Wide Open and who decide to pick up
her book, Dance of the Dissident Daughter, where Kidd
details her journey from being a Baptist Sunday School
teacher to a proponent of goddess spirituality and
pantheism? Does he have no responsibility for whom he
quotes? The answer to that is yes. We all do.
(157) Modern
Macabees by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/21/06 Those who defend the temple and rescue people.
(158) The
Rot
of Religion...the idolatry of self-love by Steve
Camp, 8/28/06 Self has always been the most destructive and dominating
plague to hinder true Christianity. Self-love
(self-righteous pride) is the cancer of the church and
sadly, much the hallmark of modern faith. An unfortunate
example of this would be Robert Shuller's toxic tome,
"Self...The New Reformation" which represents much of this
move away from biblical Christianity (towards the focus on
self) and, therefore, away from the worship and glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ and sacrifical service to others. The two
great commandments of "Love the Lord Thy God" and "love thy
neighbor..." has now been eclipsed with this third
hell-inspired commandment: "love thyself."
(159) The
Prophetic
Calling of Every Believer by Bob DeWaay, Critical
Issues Commentary, Issue #95, July/August 2006 We need to return prophecy to the members of the church.
Every member of the congregation, whether in a position of
leadership or not, has access to the authoritative
Scriptures and may bring forth valid implications and
applications from them. Together, as we prophesy, we benefit
from edification, exhortation, and comfort. The lost are
convicted of their sins while the saved grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord.
(160) God
of
Jacob, God of Israel - Part I by Dave Hunt, The
Berean Call Newsletter, 8/06 - See also God
of Jacob, God of Israel - Part II "Has The Church Replaced
Israel?" If �everlasting,� concerning Israel, doesn�t mean
everlasting, then how can we trust the promise in John 3:16
of everlasting life to those who believe on Christ? The God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, is the only
true God. The Messiah promised to Israel by Jewish prophets
of God came 2,000 years ago. He is the Savior of all who
believe on Him as the one who, in fulfillment of what the
Hebrew prophets foretold, died for the sins of the world,
rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father�s right hand.
He is coming in power and glory to punish the world for its
abuse of His people Israel and to rule the world from
David�s throne in Jerusalem. Let us stand firm on the truth
of Scripture and preach the true gospel of God, to the Jew
first, then to the Gentile.
(162) Trying
The
Spirits by J.C. Phipot, Preached at Zoar Chapel,
Great Alie Street, London, on Thursday evening, August 1,
1844 There are two evils in the human heart, which, when
thoroughly ripened and brought to a head, become, the one,
gross superstition, and the other open infidelity;
superstition crediting everything, however false; infidelity
believing nothing, however true. These two opposite evils,
being closely bound up in the heart of every man by nature,
assume various shapes and gradations in different persons;
and do not, in every individual, reach the same height, or
attain to the same development. And, indeed, one of these
evils will be usually more marked in some individuals than
the other; the bias of some being more to superstition, and
the bias of others, more to infidelity. Generally speaking,
the weaker the mind, the more superstition preponderates;
and the stronger the mind, the more docs infidelity prevail.
(163) The
New Testament Gospel Without Paul by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Minsitries, 9/06 There is a movement today (mainly coming from the sacred
name camp and law keepers) telling us that God did not
choose Paul, and that his gospel is false. The reason they
have arrived at this conclusion is because they are mostly
law keepers who do not understand the covenants, nor
understand the differences in the Mosaic and the new
covenant based on the grace of God and the work of Yeshua
(Jesus) on the cross. There have always been attacks on the
Bible and its acceptance. In the early church about A.D.
140, a man named Marcion instituted the first real
controversy. He rejected the majority of the New Testament
He believed God rejected Paul and accepted Peter. He threw
out Matthew, Mark, and John and made a canon of his own
consisting of Luke which he rewrote. There are others today
who want to rewrite the Bible, add other books (Gnostic
books) or reject some that we already have. There are at
least 86,000 quotations from the early church records tha
believed Paul�s writings were part of Scripture. These are
found in several thousand Lectionaries that are
church-service books. After nearly 1900 years of the canon
being established these rebels are causing a lot of
confusion.
(164) Tithing
-
Is It Taught In The New Testament And Does It Really
Matter If It Is Or Isn't? by Philip Powell, CETF,
Volume 12.3, Issue 37, September 2006 Tithing was an Old Testament practice to support the
theocratic governance of Israel. It is impossible to
honestly duplicate it as a means of financing the New
Testament church or Kingdom of God. It is not taught in the
New Testament and those who try to teach it today end up
like the hypocritical pharisees.
In
conclusion, I think that we have been brought face-to-face
with some of our problems as men and women in these
passages. Men have been put in authority by God, both in the
home and in the church. But men don't always take their
God-given authority seriously and live up to it, as Adam
failed to protect and correct Eve. Men have the primary
responsibility of prayer at home and in the church, but that
is often neglected too. Women are more easily deceived and
so should be very discerning and come under the leadership
of their husbands and church leaders. Women can also be very
disruptive in church meetings and need to learn when to be
quiet. Another problem is that women can be used by the
enemy to distract men from worship and from holy living. Men
need to keep their eyes on the Lord and women need to be
careful not to entice them to evil. Col. 3:1-5
What role
do dreams play in the Christian experience?
(167) ...
and
all liars ... by Sandy Simpson, 11/05/06
There is a lesson for all true believers in recent
events. Have nothing to do with deeds of darkness
perpetrated by false brothers. Reject heresy.
Mark and avoid false teachers.
(168) To
judge or not to judge: The rights and wrongs of biblical
discernment by G. Richard Fisher, 1996 It seems clear, since Jesus Himself said, "Judge not,"
(Matthew 7:1), that we cannot "judge." At first glance it
appears that Jesus not only forbids judging others, but
that He catches Himself in a glaring contradiction. Verse
1 seems obvious, "Judge not," yet in verses 6, 15-16, we
are to judge "swine," "dogs," and the "fruit" of false
apostles. How do we reconcile this apparent contradiction?
(169) Dangerous
Christianity
- In Pursuit Of Biblical Christianity by C.
Stephen David, 1/19/07 Dangerous Christianity presents a God who is always
loving, gives whatever people ask, blesses everyone,
forgives whenever people sin, gives good health and
wealth, offers peace and joy. Now that�s true! However,
the other undeniable aspects of God�s character - such as
holiness, justice, discipline and judgment are ignored in
their Christianity.
(170) Artificial
Milk
- Weaning Evangelicals Off The Word by T.A.
McMahon, The Berean Call, 2/07 Apostasy is rampant within the evangelical church today.
At least that�s my perspective as one who has observed
religious trends and developments for three decades. Read
Part
1,Part
2 & Part
3.
(171) Stand
Up
For Jesus by Walter Martin When we see idolatry, we are supposed to be
provoked. When we see evil, we are supposed to get
exercised about it. If you can calmly walk through
this upholstered cesspool of earth; if you can see evil,
filth, degeneracy, and hear vile language; if you can see
the corruption of the media and the perversion of the
gospel; if you can see the multiple forms of idolatry�the
worship of things and of the creation more than the
Creator; if you can see this today and you are not
provoked about it, then you are not in touch with God the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is provoked by evil,
and he stirs up the Church so that we may do something
about it.
(172) Is
It Right To Judge? by Franklin C. Huling, MA,
Fundamental Evangelistic Association THIS QUESTION- "IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE?" is one that
puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open minded
study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain
vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to
judge. Many do not know that the Scripture commands us to
judge. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous
judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly
judged" (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, "Why even
of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke
12:57).
(173) The
Compromising
Church Of America by Michael C. Gaudiosi - The
Berean Radio Network, THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Seventeen �
February 2007 The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the simplest message man
has ever heard! Really, it�s true! The Gospel is so
simple! Here it is, in simple plain to the point words of
the apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures. That�s it! Jesus died for our
sins, according to the scriptures, was buried and rose
again on the third day according to the scriptures. How
hard is that? Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the
cross to bring reconciliation back between God and man
that was lost by Adam in the Garden, because of one three
letter word: SIN, and has given us eternal life and kept
us from going to a place of everlasting torment, and
separation from God called: HELL! Simple, isn�t it? But,
like most everything, man has complicated it by trying to
put his own spin on God!
(174) What
Does
The Bible Say About Lawsuits/Suing? by John
MacArthur, The Freedom And Power Of Forgiveness, 2007
The Bible instructs believers not to go to court against one
another.
(175) How
to
Identify Terrorists in the Church by John
MacArthur, Wednesday, May 02, 2007 Within the church . . . who are Satan's Al-Qaeda? What
are their motives? Are spiritual terrorists out to destroy
church doctrine at large . . . or might they be
specifically targeting your faith and the faith of your
family? Listen to Part
1 & Part
2.
.
(176) Devoted To Prayer:
Wrestling With God In Ernest Prayer by Virginia Stem
Owens Christians have always interpreted the splitting of the
temple veil during the crucifixion as symbolic of their
liberation from the mediated presence of God. Henceforth they
were �free� to approach Him directly�which is almost like
telling someone he is �free� to stick his head in the lion�s
jaws. For once you start praying there is no guarantee that
you won�t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a
desert island, or in a lion�s den.
(177) The
Baptism Of Boldness by Walter Martin, Posted
5/6/07
Though Wlater Martin has passed on his legacy of of standing
for the truth remains. Watch this video to get back to
what the Gospel is all about.
(178) Another
Jesus?
A Different Gospel? A Different Spirit? by Rita
Sanders, March 25, 2007 These are the days of great and maybe final deception! I am
eternally grateful to Almighty God for granting me
repentance and leading my family out of the deceptive and
self-centered gospel of greed being promoted in the pulpits
of the churches today. Today's believers are replacing the
call to "deny themselves" with the desire to pursue "their
best lives now". We have ignored the command to "test the
spirits" because of the perverted use of "touch not My
anointed" by today's pulpiteers.
(179) Hank
Hanegraaff's
Conference on Preterism and Replacement Theology,
Essay written by C.C. (LTW Research Team), Thursday, June 07,
2007 It is obvious to any thinking Christian that Hanegraaff�s
�Exegetical Eschatology� is nothing more than the use of his
presuppositions to cloud the natural meaning of the holy
Scriptures. If I were a teacher in Hank's position, I
believe I would have trouble sleeping at night doing such a
thing to Scripture interpretation.
(180) The
Ongoing
Need for Discernment by Prof. Johan Malan,
Middelburg, South Africa, Discernment Newsletter, Volume
18 Number 4, July/August 2007 We should be involved in a contrary movement of increased
righteousness and holiness, while discerning the signs of
Christ�s soon return. Fellow-believers should be assisted to
correctly understand biblical doctrines. That is the only
way to become discerning Christians who will not be deceived
by the many wrong doctrines of our time.
(181) Does
the
Bible call for UNITY in spite of DOCTRINAL differences?
by John MacArthur, 6/07 Are believers who hold to DOCTRINAL PURITY divisive,
intolerant, unloving and ungracious?� �False teaching will
always cry �intolerance� because it can only survive when it
doesn�t get scrutinized�False doctrine cries the loudest
about UNITY�Listen carefully when you hear the cry for UNITY
because it may be the cover of false doctrine encroaching�If
ever we should follow 1 Thessalonians 5 and examine
everything carefully, it�s when somebody is crying �unity,
love and acceptance.�� Audio file.
(182) Designing
your own Christianity by Pastor Steve Cornell,
6/07 Those who reject major themes of the bible have no reason
to believe any of it. The God they believe in is a creation
of their own imaginations. He is a custom designed deity to
fulfill their own desires. But, why do such people feel
compelled to hold to selective forms of Christianity? Why
not reject it entirely and embrace something else? Perhaps
they attend their designer Churches and listen to their
appointed teachers to pacify their guilty consciences. How
sad to pacify what God is willing forgive and cleanse. But
such forgiveness would require a savior who saves sinners
and this is just too much for proud of hearts to
accept.
(183) The Near-Beer Gospel - The
Search for Pale Substitutes by Orrel Steinkamp,
The Plumbline, Volume 12., No. 4, July/August 2007, Assessing
Current Teachings, Issnes and Events with Scripture In this issue I am going to highlight two examples of how
the church is unwittingly calling for pale substitutes from
the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Each of
these examples will be drawn from two movements, which are
seemingly separated far from each other. But it is my belief
that they both represent the same basic error, that the
church itself can manufacture a Near Beer Gospel either
apart from or in addition to the unchangeable word of God.
In both cases the church has been shorn of God's actual
glory as Sampson of old. The first of these could be called
the "marketing and therapeutic" movement. In it's quest for
cultural acceptance and numerical success, they have
marginalized the "word of God" and imported marketing
methodologies as the focus of ministry. Work the system and
you will be numerically successful. It seems to me to echo
the first half of Jesus reply to Satan when tempted in the
wilderness. Rather than, man cannot live on bread alone, it
has the feel of yes! we can live on bread alone, rather than
every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. At the
other end the spectrum, God's authorized word has been
succeeded by a succession of new words from God at the hands
of thousands of newly restored so-called prophets. Thus, the
scriptures languish and are called by Tommy Tenney "old love
letters." In the one the trust is in the new technology and
tools of the culture. In the other the trust and dependence
is upon a continual flow of so-called oracles from God at
the hands of those who struggle to claim less than 50%
accuracy. The above analogy of Near-Beer calls for some
explanation. First Near-Beer. Near-Beer was originally a
term for malt beverages containing little or no alcohol (one
half of one percent or less by volume), which were
mass-marketed during the Prohibition in the United States.
Today the term "Near- Beer" has been revived by some people
to refer to modern versions of non-alcoholic beer. By the
use of this analogy I am suggesting the current evangelical
church can be illustrated by the Near-Beer phenomena. It�s
all about substitutes which only give the appearance of the
real thing.
(184) A
Roadmap To Apostasy by Mike Gendron, interview
with Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries, 6/30/07 What are the tell-tale signs? What can one do? Is it too
late to stop this engine now on a slippery slope? Around the
world it follows a pattern that goes in stages outlined by
Mike.
(185) Berean
Behavior:
Naughty or Noble? by Sherry Neese, July 17,
2007 Bereans in the trenches, Bereans in broader ministry, and
shepherds � we are all on the same battlefield.
Discouragement, Satan�s favorite weapon, lurks around every
corner. We need to work as a team, praying for one another
and valuing each other and if necessary, correcting one
another, following the biblical procedure for correction and
refrain from engaging in gossip. Then and only then will we
see the flocks protected from wolves and the Word of God
held in high esteem as did our Berean ancestors.
(186) Discernment
and
the Watchman by Mike Oppenheimer, 6/07 Just as 1 Peter 3:15 commands us as Christians to always be
ready to give a defense of your faith to those outside
(apologetics) the church, Jude 3 to defend it within the
Church (polemics). Jude had to have been aware of Peter�s
proclamation because his book extends off of Peters second
epistle on the false teachers who were beginning to come
into the church.
(188) Transforming
The
World Within by Herescope, 9/1/07 In this day of evangelical fervor over changing the outward
world, which is called "transformation," the truth of the
Gospel -- the transformation of the inner man -- is
neglected. This outward focus on dominionism always
supplants the inner workings of the Holy Spirit upon the
heart and conscience. What folly! What arrogance! True
transformation of the inner man (Romans 12:1-2) is
inextricably connected with the Cross. J.C. Philpot, in the
excerpt from his sermon "Crucifixion with Christ" below,
begins by noting that this is a mystery:
(190) Novelty and Change Will Lead
Them by Orrel Steinkamp,The Plumbline, Volume 12,
No. 5, Sept/Oct 2007
There exist today hundreds of people in Christian think tanks
and agencies whose whole view of ministry is to promote and
induce cultural change into the church. It is called
contextualization or transformation. But transformation is
basically inducing change into the Christian church. Pastors
who are properly trained in transformation and
contextualization principles are known as transformational
pastors. Pastors are also called to be "change agents." For
further reading on this topic, please refer to my earlier
newsletter, entitled "Transformation Thinking for Dummies."
The overriding feature of seeker-sensitive and
transformational activities is to change the church to
resemble the culture as closely as possible and thereby insure
survival and success in today's changing society. There is
more to it than outward appearances. Seeker-sensitive churches
low key their doctrinal statements, lest they scare away the
seekers. Although doctrinal stances do not officially change,
the week-by-week teaching exhibits the church as fellow
travelers in the culture. The process of transformation calls
not only for change but perpetual, ongoing change; in order to
entice an ever-~hanging seeker population. Forgotten entirely
these days, is the fact that God's people are meant to be a
leaven within the culture, a pocket of resistance to the
foibles and ethos of the flesh. However, I suspect there are
still some seekers left who expect to find something unique
and noticeably different at church than in the world at large.
(191) Was
Jesus God on earth or just an anointed man? by
Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/25/07 The cults deny that Jesus was ever God before he added a
human nature to His deity. The word faith movement teaches
that His deity was left in heaven and He came to earth as
only a man and was anointed. Because the Spirit rested upon
him he was given power, and it can rest on us and we can do
all the same miracles he did. They forget that he had NO
sin- was perfect and was God before he was born and was God
while on earth. Not even the apostles who were given
the authority directlly duplicated his miracles.
(193) A
Desperate Need For Correction by Dave Hunt, The
Berean Call, 1998 Correction is one of the most conspicuously absent yet
essential ministries in the church today. There are those
who seek to avoid cor-rection by hiding behind a
misapplication of Christ�s words, �Judge not, that ye be not
judged� (Mt 7:1). It is conveniently forgotten that these
words were spoken by the same One who warned the Jews to
�judge righteous judg-ment� (Jn 7:24), told us to judge the
fruit of prophets (Mt 7:16) and promised His disciples that
they would sit on thrones judging Israel (Mt 19:28).
(194) Preterism
by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/07 What are the different views in eschatology and why is
preterism the least biblical?
Preterism
pt.1- Is it a intentional lack of understanding
the prophetic scriptures?
Why Preterism fails pt.2 - Mt.24 - this
generation- Has the majority of Bible prophecies
already taken place?
(195) John Piper � Giving
�license for immorality� while claiming he is not?
by Sandy Simpson, 10/27/07 Not one word about Christians confessing or repenting of sin
in Gutsy Guilt by John Piper. Yes Christians still sin (1 John
1:8). But the point in any true biblical exegesis of this
subject is that Christians no longer practice sin (1 John 3:9)
but rather practice righteousness (1 John 3:7). Those
practicing sin better test themselves to see if they are in
the Faith (2 Cor. 13:5). We as believers have the sacrifice of
Christ for sin but we must still confess our sins and He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness (which was spoken in reference to
Christians) (1 John 1:9). This article is a perfect example of
what Jude calls giving Christians a �license for immorality�
and illustrates why 5-Point Calivinists are deceiving
believers on issues like continued sexual immorality.
(196) Cracking
"the
Code" of Preterism - A Review of Hank Hanegraaff's
"The Apocalypse Code" and a Refutation of Preterism
by Bob DeWaay, ISSUE 100, May/June 2007 May we continue to flee to the word of God for comfort,
encouragement, and preparation for what is �yet to come.�
For the �coming of Christ� does not consist of Rome
destroying Jerusalem, but rather the return of the risen
King to consummate human history and set up His eternal
Kingdom. Since our King is returning to repay the wicked and
rescue His people, we are called to be both prepared and
faithful in light of this reality. We must cling to the
blessed hope of being resurrected to be with the risen King
forever. Until this �great and terrible� Day arrives, may we
live as ambassadors for the Gospel, pleading with the world
to �Be reconciled to God� (2 Corinthians 5:20). For, indeed,
�the end of all things is near� (1 Peter 4:7).
(197) "This
Generation"
and it's Preterist Exegetical Misuseby Bob
DeWaay, ISSUE 100, May/June 2007 Our range of meaning study has concluded that genea is used
more often in the New Testament as a qualitative term than a
chronologically quantitative one. Our study in particular of
the gospel of Matthew shows that Matthew uses it in that
way. We have also shown that taking the usage in Matthew
24:34 to be within that same range of meaning makes perfect
sense in that context and fits with what we know about Bible
prophecy from other passages. Therefore, the typical
preterist interpretation is contrived and fails to consider
the preponderance of evidence in the New Testament for the
meaning of genea in such contexts.
(198) Shepherds
Abiding
In The Field by Herescope, 12/18/07 The shepherds to whom the Lord's Angel appeared announcing
the birth of our Saviour were engaged in a most humble
occupation. They were keeping watch over their flock by
night, a serious responsibility. Sheep are not by nature
easy to care for. They are silly and stupid, prone to
wander, and incapable of helping themselves. Especially they
are susceptible to danger in the night when the nocturnal
predators come out searching for an easy snack. It is under
the cover of darkness when so many things can go wrong. If a
shepherd would slack off on his night watch by dozing, he
could awaken to a disaster where it would be too late to
rescue his flock. Sheep were, after all, the livelihood of
these shepherds and an essential source for food and
clothing for their families.
(199) Unbiblical
Ideas
About Angels by Marsha West, News With Views,
12/21/07 Why is post-modern Christianity sorely lacking in
discernment? Because a large number of Christians don't read
and study the Bible. As a result they have no clue what God
says about mysticism � or anythinng else! Additionally, many
Christians have no interest in attending a church where
they'll hear expository teaching from the pulpit. What they
prefer is to hear the pastor preach on is their "felt
needs." Moreover, Christians spend their free time reading
best-selling books and novels while God's Word goes largely
ignored. So, is it any wonder the Church lacks
discernment?
(200) "Hold Firmly
Till The End" by Sandy Simpson, 1/10/08 The Bible is repleat with examples of both those believers
who stood firmly to the end, and those that did not.
There is nothing sadder than to observe a believer in his or
her twilight years wander away from the faith after having
served the Lord.
(201) Where
Are
the Elders Who Guard the Flock? by Bob DeWaay,
1/29/07 This past weekend I received a call not unlike many dozens
of previous communications from Christians concerned about
unbiblical practices being introduced into their local
churches. This particular one expressed a committed
Christian�s concern that their large evangelical church was
introducing mysticism and eastern practices under the guise
of youth ministry. This church had even created a shrine of
sorts in the church basement for young people to practice
this mysticism. The caller had researched this subject for
several months, documented her church�s new practices and
described why the practices were dangerous and unbiblical.
Confident that her findings would help correct the church�s
direction, she brought her research to the church
leadership, only to be mollified and warned about having a
bad attitude. In response she asked the leaders to compare
these practices to Scripture, but to no avail. The story is
all too common; why does it continue to happen?
(202) �A
Bible
for Kitty!� by Michael C. Gaudiosi, The Noble
Berean, Volume Twenty Eight � January/February 2008 A BIBLE TRANSLATION FOR EVERYONE Even for your kitty cat!
No, I'm not joking, this is real folks! There is a Bible
translation for Lolcats, conveniently titled �the Lolcat
Bible�. Translated by The LOLCat Bible Translation Project.
(203) Have
We Lost Our Fear Of God? by Forgotten Word
Ministries, 2/10/08 Have we lost our fear of God? I believe we
have. This is such a simple matter. Why not let
the Word of God speak for itself! The following verses
are just SOME of the many verses pertaining to the fear of
God and the consequences of not having a fear of God.
Read the following Scripture verses and then look them up so
that you can see the context each was written in. You
should have NO DOUBT in your mind and heart after this quick
study about the "FEAR OF GOD"! It's time to get back
to the truth.
(204) I Never
Heard That by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/08
What you will not hear is the gospel presented clearly or
fully ... What you will not hear is the denial of the flesh
and picking up ones cross ... What you will not see practiced
is discipling people to grow mature in the Faith ... They do
not teach that following Jesus will include loss or suffering
... What you will not hear is teaching on living a life of
contentment ... What you will not hear is correcting brethren
who are teaching false doctrine ... What you do not hear is
encouraging the use of discernment and judge what is false ...
What you will not hear is a rebuke for false prophets and
teachers ... What you will not hear is naming names of those
who are the false teachers ... You will not hear teaching on
the deity of Christ nor the Tri-unity ... What you will not
hear is teaching on separation instead of unity ... What you
will not hear is teaching how to witness to people of other
faiths (the cults and other religions).
(205) Personal "Prophecy"
In The Bible? by Sandy Simpson, 2/08 The reason for this article is my contention that the
modern day "prophetic movement", better known as the Latter
Rain, Third Wave or New Apostolic Reformation, is promoting
and practicing divination (personal prophecy) rather than
what the Bible defines as true prophecy.
(206) Legalism,
Cultism, and the Abuse of God�s Authority by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 2/26/08 Loyalty is good if it is based on truth, unquestioning
loyalty to any person or church leadership is the mark of
what a cult is made of. When you have people that follow
what the one behind the pulpit says without checking the
Scriptures to see if he is speaking the truth, disaster is
soon to follow.
(207) Gospel
Lite
- Tastes Great; Less Filling by Phil Johnson,
PyroManiacs, 3/3/08 The defining principle of historic evangelicalism was an
unwavering devotion to the gospel. But the broad movement
that calls itself "evangelical" today no longer stands for
any clear point of view and can't seem to find consensus on
even the most basic of gospel truths. How did that happen?
(208) Uncivil
War by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert, 3/8/08
"Goats and Sheep" � "Wheat and Tares" � "Mixed Multitude" �
The Bible�s terms for professors vs. possessors of
salvation. That is the sorry state of the church of Jesus
Christ in the world today. The lines are being drawn and
people calling themselves "Christian" are beginning to join
ranks. Many on both sides of the salvation line have
predicted a civil war in the church � it seems to be
manifesting before our eyes, but there�s nothing civil about
it.
(209) Three
Kinds
Of Faith by Michael Penfold, WebTruth,
3/12/08 The Lord Jesus constantly drew attention to the fact that
it is quite possible to look, sound and act like a
�Christian� without ever actually being one.
(210) Toward
The Prize by Dave Hunt, 9/30/07
An indictment of the acceptance of psychology, the promotion
of self-love, and huminism that have crept into the Church
through the teachings of people like James Dobson and Robert
Schuller.
(211) The Gospel Entrusted
To The Saintsby Sandy Simpson, March 31,
2008 We have a precious Gospel message to share with
others. It is the Good News that saved us and brought
us peace. We now have the hope of eternal life with
Christ when before we were hopeless (Eph. 2:12). This
new life should and will motivate us to share that Good News
with everyone. But sometimes true saints lapse into a
lukewarmness of complacency (Rev. 3:16). I have done
that myself at times. It is time for the remnant,
those who have not joined the Apostasy, to reach out to the
world with the truth and love of the Gospel message of Jesus
Christ. But we must adhere to the teachings of Jesus
Christ and the Apostles to be effective.
(212)Is This
About Us or About Him? by Steve Muse, Eastern
Regional Watch, 4/08
In this March 2004 Commentary, Steve Muse shares the
importance of testing the words, visions, and fruit of those
who claim to be prophets of God.
(223) The
Atonement Wars by Orrel Steinkamp, The
Plumbline, Volume 13. No.2. May/June 2008 "...There was but one way to bring about the desired
salvation which would be in harmony with God's character,
the law of God, the nature of sin and the needs of man. This
one way was by the substitutionary blood atonement of the
incarnate Son of God." (Robert A. Morey, Studies in the
Atonement, p.9)
(224) Three Common Errors Common
Among False Teachers by Mike Gendron, Proclaiming
The Gospel Ministries, 6/19/08 Since we are now living in the age of religious tolerance
and ecumenical unity, there are some people who will
immediately call this article unloving and divisive. Others
will ask "What right do you have to judge another religion?"
The answer is given in Scripture. All God-fearing people are
called to make right judgments, judgments that have already
been established by the objective principles of God's word (John 7:24).
There may be nothing more important than warning people who
are being deceived about their eternal destiny. If we do not
lovingly confront them with God's Gospel, they may never
know how to escape the eternal fire of God's punishment.
Clearly, the most unloving thing we can do is to ignore them
and let them continue down the road to destruction. For this
reason, I am always willing to offend people with the offense and
exclusivity of the Gospel in the hopes that God may grant
some of them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth
(2 Tim. 2: 25). Let us look at three fatal errors of false
prophets and how to handle them.
(225) Invincible
Gospel
and the Modern Evangelical Lie by Richard Bennett,
6/08 Our DVD on the Invincible Gospel and the Modern Evangelical
Lie I had great difficulties as a Catholic priest in
listening to some Evangelists giving a salvation message. I
address this topic in the DVD called "The Invincible Gospel
and the Modern Evangelical Lie." While I have tried
graciously in this presentation to present the Gospel as
God's gift and not man's doing the response has not been
great. On the contrary I think things are becoming worse. In
fact, the way that 'the gospel' is often presented is that
it looks as if man is sovereign and not God! Kindly watch
this DVD, and refer it to others for comments and responses.
Thank you, Richard Bennett
(226) Why False Teachers
Have So Many Followers
by Sandy Simpson, 7/28/08 The reason why false teachers, who deny one or more of the
core doctrines of the Faith, gain so many followers is that
they are saying what the world wants to hear.
(227) Why
is it important to believe Jesus is coming back again
physically? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 8/8/08 According to the Bible, to say Jesus will or has already
come again spiritually is the spirit of antichrist. If
anyone claims he has shown up in their home or at their
meeting they are denying that He will appear in glory, the
same way and in the same place that he left- AS HE PROMISED
(acts 1:11). If Jesus does not come back the way He promised
in Scripture then we cannot trust the Scripture on what it
says about anything about Him.
(229) Can
we do greater works than Jesus? by Mike
Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 9/15/08 What John 14:12 does not say: It does not say greater signs
(miezon semeion). It does not say greater miracles (miezon
dunamis) power. It does not say greater wonder (miezon
teras). It does say greater works (Gr. miezon ergon) ...
Even when the apostles were alive all the Christians could
not do signs and wonders as the apostles did, so we
certainly cannot do them today.
(230) "Until
the Day..." by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call, October
31, 2008 Didn't the Lord in "the great commission" command His
disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature? Has that command ever been revoked?
Absolutely not. It still holds for every Christian today.
But which gospel should one preach? The gospel has been so
perverted, compromised, and Catholicized that the power of
God unto salvation has been taken out of it for fear of
giving offense. Would those in hell thank us for sparing
them the offense that would have taken them instead to
heaven? Do we withhold the gospel from the unsaved for
selfish reasons? Are some of us ashamed of the narrow gate
that the gospel forces us to present to those who prefer the
broad road to destruction? The Word of God is clear: "The
fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in
the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25). Time is short and
eternity is forever. We need to reexamine our hearts and
begin to live as though we really believe this.
(231) The
Death
Of Absalom by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries,
11/10/08 This was a terrible situation: Hebrew was not fighting
Philistine, Hebrew was not fighting Canaanite, Hebrew was
not fighting Amalekite � Hebrew was fighting Hebrew.
There was the war between Israel and Judah, and the war in
the last chapter of the book of Judges, which was a civil
war that broke out when a man�s concubine was gang-raped,
and her body hacked up and sent throughout the nation.
That was the worst of all the wars in Judges. Here we
see it happening again. In the same manner, the worst
battles that we as Christians will have to fight will not be
against unbelievers; rather, they will be part of civil
war. The worst battles are against your own kind,
where believer, as it were, raises his sword against
believer. Now, I am of course not referring to a
physical sword, like the Puritans used, but rather to the
spiritual sword, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word
of God. Fighting Canaanites, Philistines, no problem;
fighting Moslems, Freemasons, Roman Catholics, no
problem. But what happens when brother fights brother
� or, in this case, when father fights son?
(232) Willful
Ignorance by Discernment Research Group, November
23, 2008 We live in a time of great apostasy when many choose to
ignore or disbelieve the simplicity of the Gospel of
Salvation, the message of the Cross. Many of the new
heresies are intricate, complex, always evolving, and
�emerging� with new theologies, philosophies, terminologies,
eschatologies, ecclesiologies, etc. These false teachings
puff up people with pride in their human knowledge and lead
them to �ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the Truth� (2 Timothy 3:7).
(233)
Two Lessons From Jonah by
Sandy Simpson, 11/24/08 We just finished
as study in the book of Jonah in our Bible study
groups. As we studied through that true story I
became aware of an application for Church leaders today.
(235) The
"Jesus"
the World Loves by McMahon, T.A., December 2,
2008 Pray that we
who truly know Him would not drift from Him because of
"another Jesus" conjured up by the world, our own flesh,
or the devil. Pray also that the Lord will enable us to
reflect the true character of Christ in our words and
deeds; that He will help us to show the world the true
Jesus, who, being God, came in the likeness of man, was
treated as though He were sin itself, and satisfied the
divine justice of God by dying upon the Cross, thus
providing salvation for all of mankind.
(236) A
Storm out at Sea by Prof. Johan Malan,
Middelburg, South Africa (Dec. 2008) This is a
typological depiction of the entire church of Christ in
its nightly voyage across the sea of life. The meeting
between Jesus and His disciples in the fourth night
watch reflects on the future meeting between Christ and
His church at the rapture, when the storms of life will
finally come to an end for believers in Jesus.
(237) Good
Apologetics by by Dr. Martin Erdmann, posted
at Herescope, 9/08 For those
desiring to hear some good instruction on biblical
apologetics, we refer the reader to 4 audio seminars
posted online. These four lectures were delivered back
in September 2008 by Dr. Martin Erdmann.
(238) Pastoring
With
Both Eyes Opened - Part 1 by Gary Gilley,
12/08
These simple
instructions, if followed, would greatly reduce the
friction found in many churches and thus enhance the
ministries of those churches. Yet many churches and
their leaders behave as if God never anticipated such
problems and has nothing to offer in way of solution. Read
Part
1 & Part
2.
(239) False
Spiritual Warfare Teachings: How the Church Becomes
Pagan by Bob DeWaay, Ciritcal Issues
Commentary, November/December 2008 A pagan is
anyone who lacks special revelation from God. And had
God not spoken in the manner described in Hebrews 1:1,
2, everyone in the world would be a pagan. This is to
say that each of us would have to guess about the nature
of the spiritual world we live in and develop techniques
in order to contact or manipulate our world. We would
wonder how we could manipulate the "gods" to better our
situation. We would create a class of shamans with
special abilities to contact and manipulate the spirits.
That is what every pagan culture looks like.
(240) Religious
Deception by Prof. Johan Malan, University of
the North, South Africa, 2/09 The kingdom of
darkness infiltrated the Christian church with a view to
adulterating it by proclaiming a counterfeit Jesus, a
counterfeit spirit and a counterfeit gospel.
(242) What
is the Trinity doctrine? by Walter Martin,
YouTube video, 3/09 In this
YouTube video, Walter Martin proves that what God has
revealed about Himself in His word we can
understand.
(243) Be
careful what you buy in Christian bookstores
by Marsha West, Renew America, 3/19/09 For hundreds
of years orthodox Christianity has held that the Bible
is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, by
supernatural power, and that every word in it is true.
(2 Tim 3:16) Thus, Scripture has the power, or right, to
command how people of faith live their lives. Then
theological liberalism rears its ugly head and attempts
to undermine established truths. The theological liberal
pretends to be a Christian ("progressive Christian" is
preferable) as he or she blatantly and unapologetically
undermines the Divine authority of the scriptures in
matters of faith and life. As a result of the onslaught
of liberal influences, the Church is in dire straits!
(244) Expos�s
on Beth Moore by Personal Freedom Outreach,
5/09 Beth Moore is
a popular author at LifeWay Christian bookstores and a
fan-favorite within the Southern Baptist Convention and
churches. But there are serious issues with Moore's
false teachings, her lack of discernment, and
more. Personal Freedom Outreach has produced
three, in-depth articles on Beth Moore that should be
read by pastors, laymen, Southern Baptist Convention
officials, and the folks at LifeWay bookstores.
(245) Spiritual
Songs by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 5/15/09
Worship songs
that teach and admonish must do so with lyrics
containing �the word of Christ� which glorifies the Lord
and promotes �one-anothering� in the local body of
Christ. Absent their conveyance logos truth, reasonably
discerned as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, the only
basis of appeal of the music is in the mystical realm.
(246) Avoid
Sleep! by Herescope, 5/18/09 As he that
watcheth doth sleep, in order to some end; so he who
keepeth the spiritual watch must set himself designedly
to avoid sin, upon a prospect of Christ's coming, and
the uncertainty of [the timing of] it.
(247) �Christians�
Who Try To Poke Holes In Sola Scriptura by
Sandy Simpson, 5/18/09 There are a
number of the leadership of the Emerging Church (EC) who
do not believe that the Bible is the highest authority
for the Christian faith. Most do not believe that
the Bible is inerrant in the original manuscripts and
many do not acknowledge that the Bible is our highest
revelation. Yet this is a core doctrine over which
true believers and false brethren must separate.
(249) Recession:
What? Me Worry? by Albert James Dagar,
6/21/09
How should
believers cope with recession?
(250) Letters
from Heaven by Prof. Johan Malan, 6/09
There are
seven letters in Revelation 2 and 3 which the Head of
the Christian Church, Jesus Christ Himself, directed to
the entire church of all centuries, through the
mediation of His servant, John. The letters are undated
and therefore timeless writings to all followers of
Christ � the faithful and the wayward ones. The letters
contain precious promises and loving encouragement to
those who persevere in the right way, but also clear
reprimands and serious warnings to all who started to
err and subsequently departed from the truth. Many of
the latter have completely lost their way.
(251) Are
you Hindu yet? by Jonathan Falwell, World Net
Daily, 8/22/09
I don't want
to think about our nation further abandoning the
biblical principle of salvation. But the fact is that
Ms. Miller may have a point. In fact, as she noted, 65
percent of respondents in a Pew Forum survey last year
said they believe that "many religions can lead to
eternal life."
(252) Defining
the
Believer's Biblical Call to Judge by Bob
DeWaay, 9/9/09 Many times,
after publishing an article that disputes the claims of
someone's published work, I am asked if I had talked to
the person privately. There are those who claim that
debating ideas in the public arena should not happen
unless there was a prior Matthew 18 process of
adjudication. It is my position that Matthew 18 does not
apply to the public interaction of theological ideas. In
this paper, I shall examine various New Testament
passages that explain what we must and must not judge.
(253) Why
The Heathen Rage by Bill Randles, Believers In
Grace Ministries, 9/25/09 - Read Part
1 & Part
2. �Why do the
heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The
Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the Lord and against His
Messiah saying let us break their bands asunder and cast
away their cords from us��(Psalm 2:1-3)
(254) What
is heresy? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 9/25/09 Heresy can be
defined as any departure from Christian orthodoxy, the
faith that was once for all delivered to the saints
(Jude 3).
(255) Discernment
Ministry
- A Biblical Defense by Gary Gilley, Think On
These Things, October/November 2009 - Volume 15, Issue
6 These men
understood, as we must today, that the �faith once for
all delivered to the saints� is worth defending.
We must not allow the objections of those who lack the
courage or the insight to fight for truth to cause us to
cower from this important God-given obligation.
(256) In
the Church: The Lordship of Christ in Control
by A.W. Tozer,
Renewed Day By Day, October 26 THE NERVOUS
COMPULSION TO GET THINGS DONE is found everywhere among
us and right here is where the pragmatic philosophy
comes into its own. It asks no
embarrassing questions about the wisdom of what we are
doing or even about the morality of it.
(257) Concerned
to Discern by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
10/31/09 As could be
agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the
right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable
to Holy Scripture professing evangelical Christians who,
for reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors,
appear to be departing from the faith.[1] Jude told his
readers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was
once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). To shirk
this responsibility means that believers are being
disobedient to the faith once for all delivered. To all
Christians the Spirit gives His anointing which places
upon them the responsibility to discern the "spirit of
truth" from the "spirit of error" (1 John 4:6; 2:20-21,
27).
(259) "Feelings
Driven"
Christians by Larry DeBruyn, 11/12/09
If it�s to
survive, faith must be sourced outside ourselves,
therefore it cannot be be based upon how we might feel
or think at a paticular point in time.
(260) A
Dangerous Philosophy: Success Is Everything by
A.W. Tozer, Renewed Day By Day, November 14 THE PHILOSOPHY
OF PRAGMATISM�basically, the doctrine of the utility of
truth, is having a powerful influence upon Christianity
in the latter half of the twentieth century.
(261) Are
We Going Full Speed Backward To Paganism? by
Lottie Beth Hobbs, 11/09 Go, go go!
Today�s frenzied society tends to revere speed and
motion. Without a doubt, people are on the go -
philosophically as well as physically - but activity is
not necessarily accomplishment; and direction is far
more important than speed.
(262) The
Manhattan
Declaration a response by Alistair Begg,
11/23/09 In accord with
others who have chosen not to sign, my reservation is
not with the issues themselves, or in standing with
others who share the same concerns, but it is in signing
a declaration along with a group of leading churchmen,
when I happen to believe that the teaching of some of
their churches is in effect a denial of the biblical
gospel. I wonder whether it might not have been more
advantageous for evangelicals to unite on this matter,
rather than seeking cooperation with segments from Rome,
Eastern Orthodoxy and the Latter Day Saints. The
necessary co-belligerence, as far as I�m concerned, can
never be rooted in a Gospel other than that which has
been given to us.
(263) Is
It Time For a New Reformation? by Ken Ham,
1/3/09 Take one look
around our world. A need for a new reformation is
evident, both for our culture and for the church. We
must return to the Bible as our absolute authority.
(264) Macro
and
micro apologetics by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us
Reason Ministries, 2/1/10 The necessity
for ongoing apologetics to be conducted inside Biblical
churches by those who are called.
(265) A
Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking These Days
by Sandy Simpson,
2/5/10 In this
article I want to detail a number of beliefs people have
these days that have no basis in Scripture. I am
going to roam all over the map, so to speak, and try to
give fairly short answers on a number of topics and also
give you useful links to articles that will help you
deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without
giving a thought to what the Bible has to say on the
subject.
(266) Three
Strikes
& You�re Out by MorielDanny, 2/10/10
Show me a
person, group, or organization embracing an extreme
mistreatment of one or more of the foundational issues
discussed above and we will find these behaviors at the
root cause of the problem. Paul explained to Timothy
that unfaithfulness to the everyday admonitions of God�s
Word is what leads to deception where the greater
foundational truths are concerned.
(267) Did
Peter
teach in Acts 2:38 that one must be baptized first to
be saved? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/17/10 We can resolve
much of the confusion in Peter�s first sermon by
understanding the JEWISH background. Acts 2 is
addressing law observant Jews that are gathered together
to observe the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (verse 1).
There are no Gentiles (non - Jews) present; Peter
addressing them says, v: 22 �Men of Israel,� v: 36
�Therefore let all the house of Israel know.� Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, �Men and
brethren, what shall we do?� He is addressing Jews, as a
NATION, not individuals. The NATION of Israel was under
divine judgment for rejecting Jesus.
(268) Will
people
die during the Millennium when Christ is ruling on
earth? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/17/10 After the
Judgment of separating the sheep from the goats, the
saved go into the Millennial period (Mt.25) the unsaved
(goats) go into the fire, which is judgment. There are
two kinds of believers that will enter the Millennium.
Those who have come back with Christ (1 Thess. 4:14b)
who are made eternal, been transformed, and have
glorified bodies. And those that are mortal that lived
through the Great Tribulation and survived (sheep).
Those mortals will become the non immortal race of man
on earth which those who were made like Christ in the
resurrection will co rule and reign over (Rev.20:6).
Isaiah states, "There shall be no more thence an infant
of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:
for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the
sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed"
(Isaiah 65:20). During this Millennial period a
100-year-old person will die as a child, if saved they
will live to the extent of years (likened to Adams day),
v.22 � for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days
of My people.�
(269) Was
Cain's
sacrifice rejected because it was not like Abel�s, one
of blood? by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason
Ministries, 2/25/10 God had
ordained the means of how man will approach Him in his
sinful condition. The implication is that they were
taught to continually sacrifice for sin. We can assume
that Adam and Eve would have passed it on to their
children Cain and Abel.
(270) Do
you love God? by Paul Proctor, 3/4/10
Frankly, I
believe most Christians don�t have a clue what Jesus�
definition of �love� is. I have alluded to it in
previous columns, but it clearly needs to be addressed
again to correct the confusion being taught in many
churches today.
(271) 95
Theses
for a New Millennium by TruthWatch,
4/16/07 When will the
Church �dare to defy the World?� Truth Watch NZ calls
for a 21st Century Reformation. On 31st October 1517
Catholic theologian Dr Martin Luther pinned his famous
�95 Thesis� to a church door in Germany�s Wittenberg,
sparking a reformation across a Europe then dominated by
the Roman Catholic Church. Luther was branded a heretic
by the church he sought to reform. Out of the conflict
that followed emerged the protestant churches, new
democratic nation states and unprecedented freedom for
evangelical Christians. On the 489th anniversary of
Luther�s proclamation Truth Watch believes another
reformation is needed!
(272) A
Whole Lot Of Wishful Thinking These Days
by Sandy Simpson,
2/5/10 In this
article I want to detail a number of beliefs people have
these days that have no basis in Scripture. I am
going to roam all over the map, so to speak, and try to
give fairly short answers on a number of topics and also
give you useful links to articles that will help you
deal with any particular issue. It is truly
amazing how many false ideas people cling to without
giving a thought to what the Bible has to say on the
subject.
(273) Which
�Jesus�
do you worship? by The Pilgrim, Defending,
Contending, March 14, 2010 False idols of
who Jesus is come in all shades and styles, but there�s
nothing that�s created more false idols of who Jesus is
than man�s own heart. Unfortunately, most people have
created a �Jesus� of their own liking, fashioned in the
recesses of their carnal minds (or created by some
religious leader that they�ve submitted their lives and
entrusted their souls to) and that�s the �Jesus� they
serve and worship. Ironically, these false idols of
�Jesus� bear a striking resemblance to those who created
them (and their desires), but very little�if
any�resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.
(274) What
is
the gospel and what would be considered changing it?
by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries,
3/23/10 The Bible
warns about adding or subtraction. If one adds healing
or speaking in tongues or baptism to the gospel for ones
to be saved they are changing the gospel message. If one
communicates the gospel can be learned through nature,
the stars or the pyramids they have mislead where it is
found and how it is given. The gospel is preached and it
is about Jesus according to the Scripture: It is
received by hearing and believing it - by faith. There
is no other work included. Paul and the apostles
preached �the cross,� �Jesus Christ and him crucified�
(1 Cor. 2:2). it is the �preaching of the cross� that
contains �the power of God� unto salvation, because only
by believing the finished work of Jesus on the cross can
save us from our sins. 1 Cor. 1:18: �For the message of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.�
(275) Charles
Spurgeon:
Those who bury the Gospel with trash at
Apprising Ministries, 3/28/10 The following
excerpt is from �Under Constraint,� a sermon preached
Sunday morning 28 April 1878 at the Metropolitan
Tabernacle in London.
(276) Divination
Is
Forbidden By God by Chris Lawson, Spiritual
Research Network, 4/7/10 Divination:
any attempt to foretell the unknown by occult means. It
is very clear that the God of the Bible strictly forbids
all forms of divination. This includes all forms
of mediumship, channeling, witchcraft [Wicca],
occultism, psychic, fortune telling, tarot cards,
reading tea leaves, etc. Divination is forbidden
by God because it unlocks the door to the world of the
demonic and spiritual deception.
(277) Reflections
on
a Reasonable Faith by The Berean Call,
4/12/10 A false idea
exists in both the world and in the church that faith
and reason do not go together when, in fact, one cannot
exist without the other. When God called out, "Adam,
where art thou?" it was not Adam's physical location He
was asking about but his moral and spiritual
relationship with his Creator. "What happened to that
relationship we once had, Adam? I miss it and am
grieved." As a bumper sticker says, "When you feel far
from God, guess who moved?"
(278) Who
Can We Trust? by Mike Ratliff, 4/15/10
I have been in
many separate discussions with friends over that last
several weeks and months pertaining to the seeming
escalation of growing apostasy all around us. Some have
lamented that it seems that there is no one who can be
trusted anymore. I made the comment last night to a
friend that it was becoming increasingly more difficult
to trust the fruit of those who minister for money or
whose livelihood depended upon popularity. This is
really nothing new. Our Lord, in His Sermon on the
Mount, told us to beware of false prophets who come to
us in sheep�s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
wolves.
(279) What
is
the Spirit of Antichrist? by Mike Oppenheimer,
Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/19/10 John is the
only writer that gives the term antichrist and describes
this topic in detail in his letters 1 and 2 John. Though
this is not the only way to describe the false Christ
working, it is insight into what His spirit will teach.
(280) The
Gospel
Of Self by Roger Oakland, Understanding The
Times, 4/19/10 An interesting
trend is occurring in our society today. The long held
Judeo-Christian belief that human beings should
concentrate on a God-centered focus for living, is now
being replaced by the view that self-centeredness should
be the ultimate goal for man. Is there any way to help
understand this strange phenomenon?
(281) Jeremiah's
Prayer by Sandy Simpson, ACT, 4/26/10
I am writing
this article as an encouragement to those Christians who
use discernment, especially the discernment/apologetics
ministries. This passage was an encouragement to
me so I would like to pass along what the Lord showed
me. Jeremiah's prayer is reflected in our own
prayers to the Lord when we find ourselves under heavy
attack from the enemy and from his servants.
(282) The
Importance
Of Understanding Scripture by Chris Lawson,
Spiritual Research Network, 6/16/10 A simple
definition of Hermeneutics is �the branch of knowledge
that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible
or literary texts.� The following article seeks to
explain why a proper understanding of Biblical
Hermeneutics is important. We will look at the qualities
we should seek and bring to our Scripture reading and
what we ought to leave behind. We will also look
at some of the hindrances to proper exegesis
[interpreting Scripture]. We will then seek to
explain Paul the Apostle�s reasoning in 2 Corinthians
3:16-18, and how this passage shapes our hermeneutical
goal of reflecting the glory of Christ, by His Spirit,
through us. But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18) When we as
believers in Christ manifest the fruit of the Spirit of
God (Gal. 5:22-23), we are progressively being
transformed (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18) into the likeness
of Jesus Christ. This is the goal of the Christian
walk (Eph. 4:22-23; Col. 3:10).
(283) The
Works-Salvation
Delusion by The Berean Call, 5/29/10
Any attempt to
merit salvation by our works is not just futile--it is
impossible: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James
2:10). Worse yet, it is a denial of the infinite penalty
that God imposed, a rejection of God's "unspeakable
gift," and a repudiation of what Christ accomplished for
us. It used to be that most evangelicals would agree.
This is no longer the case as the apostasy gathers
momentum in these Last Days. Recently, a Pew Forum
survey of more than 40,000 Americans found that 57
percent of those who said they were evangelicals
believed that Jesus is not the exclusive way to heaven.
Since Jesus is the only one who provides divine
accomplishment, all that remains is the futile delusion
of human achievement for salvation.
(284) The
Days
of Noah and Lot by Bill Randles, June 27,
2010 Jesus warned
us that the end of days would be just as it was in the
time leading up to the flood and also as in the last
days of Sodom and Gommorah. The saying, the Days of Noah
and of Lot, has a specific meaning in scripture. We can
identify the end of time by what scripture says about
those times. The days of Noah have seven
characteristics, according to Genesis 4-6 . God tells us
that those times were marked by; rapid advances in
technology, a disregard for marriage, a population
explosion,a radical increase in corruption and violence,
the general rejection of the call to repentance,the loss
of distinction between the line of Seth and that of
Cain, and open communion between Humans and fallen
angels.
(285) The
Shack
Author Says: "The God of Evangelical Christianity is a
Monster." by Lighthouse Trails Research, June
30, 2010 This past
Friday night, author and researcher Ray Yungen attended
a lecture at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon to
hear The Shack author William Paul Young. The name of
Young's talk was "Can God Really Be That Good?"
(286) The
"Unlovely" Ministry by Marvin Fieldhouse,
7/9/10 The minister
or Christian worker who has those unlovely things called
convictions is a person who seems to always be in
trouble with someone. Any preacher who professes to be
standing true to the whole counsel of God and who is not
out of joint with all that God has an argument with, is
not a true preacher of righteousness. On the one hand a
Christian must needs be a "savour of life unto life,"
and on the other, "a savour of death unto death." He
must build up and edify on the right, while tearing down
and destroying on the left. The ministry of exposing
error to men's hearts is the one Jesus had. The world
cannot hate a convictionless Christian, because he
cannot, does not, and will not testify against it that
the works thereof are evil. But to expose evil and
correct those who love sin--this takes a man of
conviction, who is absolutely delivered from himself.
(288) Christianity
Today's
Anti-Christianity Today by The Berean Call,
8/10 Galli is
"pretty happy" driving down the road to hell? God is a
Crazy Fellow? God is a Drama Queen? I have two
suggestions: 1) Send your reaction to Galli's article to
the founder and honorary chairman of CT, Billy Graham,
noting what seems to be the ultimate degeneration of
what he started, and 2) Pray for Mark Galli, that he
will repent. "[Regarding the wicked] there is no fear of
God before his eyes" (Ps 36:1).
(289) Four
Ways Christians Are Being Deceived by
Proclamation, Invitation & Warning, written about
1990, Posted on this site about 1998, updated
6/19/10 The Lord put
that and similar verses in his Word to warn us of a
reality of world history: Global deception. And even
those who profess to be Evangelical Christians are
susceptible to the Serpent's lie. "In the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Timothy
4:1. Four ways that Christians are being deceived in our
day are: The Repackaged Lie, Blurred Distinctions,
Unequal Yoking, Following Gurus.
(290) Excerpts
from The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich
Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Bonhoeffer was
surrounded by lukewarm pastors and cultural "Christians"
who supported Hitler. To most people in the established
German Lutheran church, security and wealth had become
more important that God's precious Word and faithfulness
to Him. In prison, Bonhoeffer was separated from those
who, like him, trusted God. Compromise was not an
option, so He put all his trust in God. (Of course, so
did Moses, Joseph, David, Paul and many others whose
faith deepened when totally separated unto God alone).
These Scriptures remind us of such tests and triumphs:
"...the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked
one." 1 John 5:19 "If you were of the world, the world
would love its own. Yet because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the
world hates you.... If they persecuted Me they will
persecute you... for they do not know the One who sent
Me." John 15:19-2
(291) Discernment
Is Essential by Sandy Simpson, 8/29/10
I want to
offer a concrete suggestion on how to stem the tide of
leaven coming into the churches. I do this in
light of criticism often leveled at discernment
ministries that they are only interesting in
criticizing. Though we as believers are to use
discernment and be critical of false teaching, comparing
everything to the ultimate authority in the life of the
believer, the written Word, you will find that most
discernment and apologetics ministries do a very good
job of offering both Biblical true teaching and
practical suggestions on how to implement it. What
I am going to suggest to you is something some churches
are doing but I would like to see every church do
...
(292) The
Two Mysteries by Pastor Bill Randles,
9/1/10 The very
essence of Biblical spirituality is this, God had to
come down to us, in the flesh, God became a man, to save
us from sin. The very antithesis of Biblical
spirituality is this Mystery of Iniquity, this principle
of man ascending up unto God's class. The polarization
of Christians along these lines is upon us, and the
choice is becoming increasingly stark! In closing, Jesus
poses a question which I believe is directed to the last
generation of believers, that on the one hand, to some
incurs serious heart searching, but on the other hand,
to the "new breed," the question is almost irrelevant in
the light of the great and mighty "revival" of signs,
wonders and power sweeping the earth. The question is:
"Will the Son of Man find faith when He comes to the
earth?"
(293) Redefining
Jesus
Christ: The Biblical Jesus Versus The Counterfeits
by Christopher Lawson, Spiritual Research Network,
9/3/10 More than any
other time in history, the world today is filled with
false ideas and concepts of who Jesus Christ really is.
What Paul the Apostle called "another Jesus, a different
spirit, and different gospel" has plagued the
world. The purpose of this article is to point us
back to the Bible and back to the Biblical Jesus!
(294) Fuller
Seminary
Found The World A Fickle Mistress by John
MacArthur, 9/12/10 [A] new kind
of modernism is pushing Christians onto the down-grade.
Why is it that biblical Christianity in modern times has
been so vulnerable to doctrinal compromise and worldly
influence? A fascinating historical account of the
fundamentalist/evangelical movement in microcosm is
found in Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and
the New Evangelicalism, by George Marsden. Tracing the
history of one influential institution, Marsden recounts
in detail how Fuller Seminary compromised and ultimately
abandoned its commitment to biblical inerrancy.
(295) Relationships
and
Religious Agendas by Paul Proctor, News With
Views, September 15, 2010 Have you ever
tried to reason with a religious agenda? It�s hard to
do, isn�t it? You can quote God�s Word until you�re blue
in the face, but those who have fully invested
themselves into it will not be easily swayed even when
it doesn�t square with scripture. Often, what comes into
play is a mystical mindset and performance-based pride
involving a �passion� or �vision.� Persuaded with
sentimental stories, tender tears and a charming
demeanor, a misguided group can, over time, become
spiritually deaf, dumb and blind to anyone and anything
outside that vision, including God�s Word � following
along with a misplaced faith in someone�s persona,
position or personal experience. This happens in the
Church today because Christians have largely relegated
all things scriptural over to leaders for interpretation
having made ministers into magistrates and pastors into
priests � relying on professionals to perceive God�s
Will for their lives rather than prayerfully reading and
studying His Word for themselves like the Bereans of
Acts 17 who �received the word with all readiness of
mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so.�
(296) Haters
of
the truth by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/23/10
The truth
entered a world of darkness.
(297) Which
religion
is true? by Matt Slick, CARM, 9/23/10
Jesus said, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life, and now comes the
Father but by me," (John 14:6). Instead of looking at
thousands of religious systems and finding internal
inconsistencies, facts that contradict the belief
systems, or try and determine whether or not each is
falsifiable, let's take a look at Christianity.
Why? Because Jesus said that he alone was the way
to God the Father. If Jesus is right, then all
other religions are false since all other religions
don't agree with what Jesus said.
(298) Regarding
the Pre-Trib Rapture argument that the Church is not
mentioned after Revelation 4:1 by Sandy
Simpson, 10/10/10 I am not going
to start a debate on the whether Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib,
Pre-Wrath, Post-Trib or other Premillennial Rapture
scenarios are Biblically correct. They all have a
basis in Scripture. Pre-Tribers, however,
sometimes try to come off as if they have a corner on
the market of truth. But one of their arguments
for a Pre-Trib rapture is not correct. I have
heard the argument time and again ... that a proof of a
Pre-Trib Rapture is that the "Church" is not mentioned
after Revelation 4, therefore proving that since the
Church is not mentioned the Church is no longer on
earth.
(299) The
Watchman by Scottish pastor Horatius Bonar
(1808-1889) He must
remember that he is a watchman; and, having seen danger
pressing on, he must not hesitate to make it known. He
must speak his message of forewarning and rebuke,
sparing no arrows, and neither smoothing down nor hiding
any form of sin, but laying his finger upon every sore,
and beseeching men to turn from their ungodliness. The
evils around him press upon him sadly; the coming evils
are foreshadowed upon his spirit, and, therefore, he
lifts up his voice like a trumpet.
(300) Dangers,
Toils
and Snares by Allistair Begg, Truth For Life,
11/8/10 How are things
going these days? Is everything running as planned, or
does it feel like you�re just barely hanging on? Maybe
you�re lonely, facing illness, stressed over problems at
work, or maybe you�re just overwhelmed with a
never-ending stream of challenges. As you survey the
landscape around you, all you can see are more troubles
on the horizon. Thankfully, we don�t have to face these
twists and turns alone. In this series of messages,
Alistair Begg considers some of the most common dangers,
toils, and snares that we encounter in our daily lives,
and he shows us how a knowledge of God�s character and
the Gospel will give us the tools we need to overcome
both common and uncommon challenges with a Biblical
attitude. This is a series of messages on this
subject in MP3 or CD format.
(301) What
is
the activity we call "discernment" really all about?
by Better Than Sacrifice Ministries, 11/21/10
What is
discernment? Even as I mention that word, a multitude of
Bible passages leaps into our minds: Ezekiel the watchman
(Ez. 3; 33); Jesus warning of the �false christs and false
prophets� that will arise (Matt. 24); the Jews at Berea
who �searched the Scriptures daily� to find out whether
Paul was teaching them the truth (Acts 17); Paul telling
the Thessalonians to �test all things; hold fast what is
good� (1 Thess. 5) and instructing Titus to �reject a
divisive man after the first and second admonition� (Titus
3); Peter warning about false teachers �who will secretly
bring in destructive heresies� (2 Peter 2). And many, many
more � all helpful to us in various ways.
(302) New
NIV Bible Still Draws Criticisms Over Gender-Related
Passages at Understanding The Times,
11/27/10 An update to
the popular NIV Bible that sought to resolve problems
over gender-inclusive language found in the
controversial TNIV Bible is still drawing criticism from
evangelicals.
(303) Doctrinal
Truth
Bears The Image Of Christ by Ken Silva,
12/3/10 There are many
modern professing Christians who would be quick to very,
very fervently profess their love for Christ and his
Word, that would also be just as quick to reject any
fervent defense of doctrinal truth. They would say they
love the Word, because they read it everyday; yet they
simply see no need or urgency to passionately defend the
truth that the Word of God contains.
(304) Here
is Your God! (Audio Series) by Allistair Begg,
12/10 If you travel
to India, you�ll encounter a culture that is governed by
the worship of hundreds of deities. Western society is
no different, although our gods and idols tend to be
much more subtle. But what are these gods and idols? Are
they real? How do they measure up to the God of the
Bible? Any agent of the treasury knows that the best way
to identify a counterfeit is to study the real thing.
The same is true with God: we can identify false gods
best by studying and knowing the one true God. In this
series of messages, Alistair Begg examines the character
traits of God that He reveals to us in the Bible and
through the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Learn
how the true God differs from the false idols we all set
up in our hearts and how a relationship with this God
should impact every aspect of our lives.
(305) The
Spirit Of Truth by Herescope, 12/13/10
In these days
of error, it is most necessary that the children of God,
who would not be entangled in the snares of the enemy,
should be well grounded and established in the Truth*;
and this by the teaching and testimony, work and witness
of the blessed Spirit. For want of this heavenly
instruction, how many who are weak in the faith or
ignorant of Satan�s devices are caught with some new
view, some novel interpretation of a text, some subtle,
plausible explanation of a passage in which, could they
see into the real intention of a passage of the writer
or speaker, they would at a glance perceive some
abominable heresy couched.
(306) Billy
Graham:
"Some People Are Born Christians" by Ken
Silva, Apprising Ministries, 12/23/10 �Some people
are born Christians,� at least so says renouned Southern
Baptist evangelist Billy Graham according to the former
President George W. Bush's book "Decision Points".
(307) Naming
Names by Spirit of Error, 12/25/10
One of the
criticisms I hear most is that it is wrong for me to
�name names� of people who promote false teaching unless
I first go to those teachers in private to address my
concerns with them. The implication is that no one
should listen to me if I haven�t followed the proper
order � going to the teacher first, then going public.
False teachers, themselves, often promote this idea to
shield themselves from criticism. But this is a misuse
of the teaching on church discipline found in Matthew
18:15-17. Here�s an article I wrote about this subject
three years ago.
(308) December
24th
Show: Discernment Ministries vs. Apologetics
Ministries: Is there a difference? by Jackie
Alnor, Apostasy Alert, 12/27/10 Over the next
several years, ministries that followed Hunt�s lead,
recognizing the prophesied apostasy in the church via
ecumenism with Rome, became labeled as �discernment
ministries.� The view that the false teachings in
the church were propelling the visible church toward a
unification into a global false religious system was not
seen as a valid paradigm by the academic type of
apologists. So the latter tended to marginalize the
former and look down their noses at those who believe we
are in the end times. That idea just isn�t very
scholarly to them.
(309) Witnessing
with
Bible Prophecy by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy
Alert, 1/2/11 The natural
outcome of recognizing the signs of the times for the
Christian should be the urgency to share the gospel with
others. It is inconceivable to think about the looming
wrath of God being poured out upon those we love who
will be left behind if they do not receive the free gift
of salvation before the rapture.
(310) Does
It
Really Matter What You Believe About God? by
Ken Silva, 2/2/11 Does it really
matter what someone believes about God? That is an
extremely important question, and what I�ll do now is to
give you a sound answer by turning to the Bible to see
what the Lord has to say the subject. Another vital
question we should be asking today is: When is the
church visible going to stop letting the world tell it
how to live?
(311) Be
Watchful! by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892) Many in these
days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and
not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces,
but not the true-born children of the living God.
Christian, do not think that these are times in which
you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardor;
you need these things more than ever, and may God the
eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you, that you
may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well
as in the rougher, �We are more than conquerors through
him that loved us."
(312) Is
the Trinity taught in the Old Testament by
Mike Oppenheimer, 3/1/11 From the
beginning God introduces himself to man as Elohim. In
Gen .1:26 God (elohim) said �let us make man in our
image, according to our likeness�� those engaged in this
conversation were all the same in nature and image. God
could not have been speaking to any heavenly creatures
because none of them possesses a divine nature like his.
We know later there were Divine Persons. Each person of
the Godhead can think and communicate with the other.
This verse shows independent thought and cooperation
within a plurality of his being. This means whoever
elohim is speaking to has the same power as him.
(313) Beck's
Bogus Beliefs by T.A. McMahon, The Berean
Call, 3/1/11 Glenn
Beck, the television and radio talk show host who is
best known for his conservative political views, isn't
someone whom we would normally address in our
newsletter. Our concerns are usually directed at
individuals, programs, or organizations that promote
spiritual or theological views contrary to the Word of
God. Beck, of late, seems to be making himself at home
in that realm, and he's attracting many who call
themselves Bible-believing Christians.
(314) "Examine
yourselves to see whether you are in the Faith"
by Sandy Simpson, ACT, 3/3/11 2Co 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the
faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that
Christ Jesus is in you� unless, of course, you fail the
test? People
who call themselves followers or Christ or "Christians"
and claim they are born again must believe certain
things. If they do not then they fail the test of
faith. They can claim they are born again all they
want and "once saved, always saved" but if they fail the
test of faith there is no eternal security. Only God
knows who will be saved, from beginning to end, because of
His foreknowledge and omniscience (Rom. 8:29, 1 Pet.
1:2). God did not make an arbitrary judgment about
who would be saved and who would not. His Spirit is
given to those He foreknew, when convicted of sin by His
Holy Spirit, would choose to believe and commit themselves
to Jesus Christ. We are not God and we do not have
His omniscience. Therefore we must be sure our
belief system is in the right place once our eyes have
been opened to the Truth. I am not saying we do not
have assurance of salvation, but our assurance comes not
only because of His Atonement and promises of salvation
but from our continuing in the Faith, which is always the
Biblical criteria. Those who would teach must teach
according to the whole counsel of God's Word. Let me be
clear. There is only one way to salvation.
That is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ
alone. I will deal with a few of those issues
following, but it is important to recognize that being
saved is not just a matter of believing that Jesus lived,
or that He was a man, or simply giving mental ascent to
His existence in whatever form. The Bible gives this
as the only criteria to be saved: Ac 16:31
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and
thy house. (KJV)
(315) Hold
On! by Sandy Simpson, 3/7/11 1 Tim.
4:1-2 But the Spirit explicitly says that in
later times some will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in
their own conscience as with a branding iron ...
(NASB) If we are to pay attention and obey the written
Word we must listen to what the Holy Spirit says.
It is not I who wrote the above. I am simply
reminding Christians that in the end times some will
fall away from the Faith. Clear and simple.
This is why the Lord reminds those who claim to be His
followers that we need to hold on till the end. The word
for "hold on" is katecho meaning hold, hold fast, keep,
possess, stay, take, have, make. The Bible tells
believers to hold on and keep what they have till the
end. But what are we to hold on to?
(316) Standing
for the Gospel � It is a Small Price to Pay by
Roger Oakland, Understand the Times International,
3/16/11 According to
the Scriptures and the events that we see happening
around us, we are living in the last days. The Bible
states that the last days will be perilous. Webster�s
Dictionary defines the word perilous to mean dangerous,
grave, threatening, unsafe, and unhealthy. Does this not
describe the world today? "This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1
There will be many deceivers during this time. The blind
will be leading the blind. There will be wolves in
sheep�s clothing that desire to devour the sheep and
drive them to market. These wolves may know they are
wolves, or they may not. They are under strong delusion.
The world is under strong delusion as well.
(317) The
Solomon Syndrome by Roger Oakland,
Understanding The Times, 3/28/11 Recently, a
number of circumstances have happened impacting my walk
with Jesus Christ. This has forced me to search my own
heart and try to understand my own behavior as well as
the attitude and behavior of those who are attacking me.
I have come to the conclusion the best way to do this is
to study the Scriptures. All of us know Christian
leaders who were once respected and used by God as
faithful servants. How is it possible then, you may ask,
that someone who started out dedicated to Christ and His
Word and taught the Word, can end up being trapped in a
state of delusion? How can such a person be convinced
that he or she is above the Word of God and does not
need correction? This malady that permeates and
infects Christian leadership in our world today is what
I call the Solomon syndrome. Great leaders are only
great if they faithfully follow Jesus and abide in His
Word. Often great leaders become great deceivers because
they end up following Satan and their own flesh. Because
they have large followings, they are looked up to as
great men of the faith. Further, while they have led
many astray, they may or may not know they have done
this because they are convinced they are God�s agents.
(319) 40
Irrefutable Signs of the Last Generation by
Dr. Noah Hutchings, Date: April 19, 2011 � Host: Vic
Eliason � Guest: Usama Dakdok
Dr. Noah
Hutchings is president of Southwest Radio Ministry in
Oklahoma City. He has written more than 100 books and
booklets covering many Bible related themes. He has
traveled to many places around the world in his lifetime
and his 40 trips to Israel and the Middle East helps to
make him uniquely qualified to speak on the issue of signs
related to last-days events. While Dr. Hutchings doesn�t
set specific dates for Christ's return, Christians can�t
ignore the fact that 40 is the biblical number of
probationary judgment. In light of that, Dr. Hutchings
uses his time on Crosstalk to explain how he�s been able
to document 40 signs that he believes point to the last
generation that will see the return of Christ; signs that
are relative to today's world.
Listen: RealAudio
| Windows
Media | MP3
(320) The
Old Rugged Cross by Crossroad, 4/23/11
To a world
bent on social unity and moral laxity, the cross stands
as a divisive and humiliating obstacle. Attempts to
minimize its offense through laws and intimidation have
bullied both secular and church leaders into continual
compromise. Public crosses are demolished or hidden;
Bibles are forbidden in schools, the traditional days
for celebrating the resurrection have been renamed
"spring break;" and countless corporations and
government agencies ban cross-shaped pins or jewelry.
Even Jesus Himself has become a popular target for media
mockery and ridicule!
(321) What
Have
We Become? by Paul Proctor, News With Views, April 27,
2011 The command from Jesus was so simple: �Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature.� (Mark 16:15) How
complicated is that? The world is right outside our door; and yet,
look at the �church� today and what those claiming to be His
disciples and witnesses are actually conveying to that world just
in the latest headlines alone: � 'Church Sucks' But Come Anyway? � Many Born-Again Christians Hold Universalist Views � Utah church offers free Korans in Easter gesture � Worst place to Celebrate Easter Is in Church, Says Pastor � Nashville-area church offers drive-thru prayer � Church's 'Dance Your Shoes Off' video goes viral � Survey Reveals Decade-Long 'Erosion' of Traditional U.S.
Congregations � 'A Massive Shift Coming in What it Means to Be a
Christian" Is it any wonder there is so much confusion about Who Jesus is,
what He did and what He taught � and that so many frustrated Bible
believers are wandering from church to church these days looking
for someone to simply preach it and teach it as it is written?
(322) Does
God continue to give us new Revelation, new words to
Scripture? by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/4/11 You are not led by the Spirit to challenge the word as true or
disobey it. You are led by the Spirit to accept it and live it. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to
him and make Our home with him."He who does not love Me does not
keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the
Father's who sent Me.(John 14:23-24) So to show you love the
savior means you keep, believe, obey his word (which is written
for us), not anothers. It is then we can be fruitful and have
the joy that he wants to give in our lives.
(323) Living in
an age of lies by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/10/11 We are in the time of lying, in both politics and religion. The
lie is told so easily and boldly and the truth is told so weakly
and inefficiently. We have been fed lies portion by portion,
piece by piece for so long that the lie has become as the truth.
And no one wants to believe lies have encompassed the way the
church conducts her practices.
(325) The
forgotten command of Discipleship for personal growth,
multiplication and health of the church by Mike
Oppenheimer, 6/14/11 We are to be �Holding fast the faithful word as he has been
taught� (Titus 1:9). Paul explains God�s preservation process
for the church is to continue, �The things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also� (2 Timothy 2:2). The modern
church has a problem: few are able to teach, few are faithful
men.
(326) This
Is A War Breifing by T.A. McMahon, 6/15/11 It is imperative that everyone who follows Jesus Christ
understands that we are in a war. It's a war that is spiritual,
but it may have physical consequences. If you're not aware that
you are in that kind of war, you very likely have already been
taken captive. If you are a pacifist in this war, you have been
at least effectively neutralized. Neutrality is capitulation.
There is no fence-sitting as the battle rages. Jesus said that
he who is not with Him is against Him (Matthew 12:30). So, if we
are indeed in a war, what's it all about? It's a war for the
hearts of humanity--and the adversaries are God and Satan.
(327) Critical
To
Know Your Bible by Ken Silva, 6/16/11 Sadly, by the way we live today�and the ease in which a rapidly
increasing number of serpentine deceptions are slithering into
the mainstream evangelical camp�we are demonstrating that
there�s far too much of our opening text within the visible
Christian church today. Take for example the sinfully ecumenical
Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church; this was from its evil
inception a rebellion against the proper Christian spirituality
of sola Scriptura and has now with its postmodern form of
Progressive Christian theology raised a barrier up against the
genuine Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(328) Back
To
Basics�Rob Pue Commentary on VCY America,
6/16/11 Rob described how Christians reflect far too many of the
world�s values. This is most obviously seen in today�s
seeker-friendly church movement. However, if seeker
friendliness isn�t what the Bible calls us to, what is our
responsibility as Christians? Are there some basics we can
begin with that we need to get back to? Find out what
Crosstalk callers had to say as well when you review this timely
edition of Crosstalk.
(329) Is
The
Trinity A Philosophical Contradiction? by Jacob Allee,
CARM, 6/20/11 Many people who reject the biblical doctrine of the Trinity do
because of confusion and misunderstanding. They think we are
saying the Bible teaches that God is one person and God is three
persons at the same time and in the same way. If that was
actually what we were saying then the Trinity would indeed be a
logical contradiction. However, when properly understood that
God is one �being� who exists as three �persons,� and we
understand the difference between the words �being� and
�person,� then there is no logical contradiction in the Trinity.
The fact of the matter is that God is simply a different kind of
being than human beings, containing more persons in His
existence than humans. Some will say �but there is nothing else
like this to which we can point!� We as Christians say �Amen.
There is no one like our God!� It is exactly for this reason
that we should not try to explain God by comparing Him to things
in this world, because there is nothing to which He can be
compared.
(330) Testing
the
Ego For Discernment by End Time Delusion,
6/25/11 Ever since his resounding victory over man in the Garden of
Eden, the enemy has recognized that the best place to attack is
at the weak point in human nature � man�s sense of pride and
ego. The more Satan can inflate man�s sense of pride and attack
his sense of humility, the more victories will be won in his
name.
(331) The
Value
of Our Souls � What Price Are You? by Lighthouse
Trails, 6/27/11 In our last article, How Much Does the Gospel Weigh?, we
examined the idea of placing a value on the Gospel. We saw how
the prophet Zechariah had predicted centuries before that the
price man would place on Jesus would be �weighed for my price
thirty pieces of silver� (Zechariah 11:13). All of this was
predicted and then happened about five hundred years later as if
God was making a profound statement on how Jesus, who was
despised and betrayed by man for so very little, from God�s
perspective had immeasurable value. What Jesus did for us at
Calvary cannot be measured by monetary value; in fact, as we
have seen, the Gospel becomes the standard by which everything
else is valued and measured. Now, for the moment, let�s turn our
thoughts to ourselves, and again using the idea of placing a
value on something, examine our value, both from man�s
perspective and God�s perspective.
(332) Seduction:
A
Primer for Persecution? by T. A. McMahon, The Berean
Call, 7/1/11 For the last three decades, Dave Hunt and I have addressed many
trends and teachings that have influenced the evangelical
church, particularly in the United States. Our concern has
focused primarily on unbiblical beliefs and practices that were
turning Christians away from the Word of God. Twenty-five years
ago, we wrote The Seduction of Christianity, a rather
controversial book that was motivated by feedback from those who
had read Dave's earlier books and had watched the film
documentaries to which I had contributed in the early eighties.
Some dealt specifically with religious cults (Cult Explosion,
The God Makers, etc.). Responses from Christians who read those
books and watched the films, however, alerted us to the fact
that the cult beliefs that we identified were also being taught
in their churches, which were being influenced by leading
Charismatic and Word/Faith teachers. Those same false teachers
were also spreading cultish doctrines throughout the country on
Christian television networks.
(333) The
Warning by Roger Oakland, 7/26/11 There is a pattern we find throughout the Word of God.
God always warns before He brings judgment on sinful man. God is
merciful and never reacts quickly without giving sinners a
chance to repent. While He hates sin, He has often allowed men
to carry on even if they do not respond. However there are
always consequences of sin. The Bible states that the
wages of sin is death. Often sin is exposed publically, and
others are reminded to get right with God.
(334) SENSUAL
or
SPIRITUAL? - Dance and Worship by Pastor Larry
DeBruyn, 8/12/11 �It�s difficult to get people to come to church� said A.W.
Tozer, �when the only attraction is God.� So churches now offer
enticements. Driven by the �wants� and �needs� of the audience,
people come to church for �therapy.� Expository preaching from
the Bible is down, but entertainment is up. Welcome to �the
church of Me.�
(335) "Are
We
Fundamentalists?" by Dr. Peter Masters, 8/14/11
THERE ARE NOW TWO KINDS OF EVANGELICAL.... The old is the
authentic, biblical position. The new is far off the
track, not in its basic view of salvation, but in its readiness
to compromise with doctrinal error and worldly ways. The new is
selling the faith for earthly respect and recognition... and
churches are being ruined.
(337) The
Less Than Truthful "Truth Project" by T. A. McMahon,
9/1/11 In summary, The Truth Project, in our view, is akin to a troop
support ship with a mixture of supplies aboard that need to be
carefully scrutinized. More importantly, if the ship's compass
is off even a few degrees, the vessel will not reach its
intended port. TTP has some excellent content along with some
erroneous teachings, but its "intended port" of transforming the
world is not on the course set by the Scriptures.
(338) �Touch
Not
Mine Anointed� by Kevin Reeves, 9/1/11 Perhaps the single biggest factor hindering acknowledgment and
genuine repentance of false doctrine is the unwillingness for
believers to relinquish the superstar status of their spiritual
heroes. And how many times had our [church] leadership supported
this by telling us not to name names? It was the one thing above
all others that tied my hands and put a gag in my mouth.
Although I was told to go ahead and speak to whomever I wanted
to within our group, such presentations were always followed up
with appropriate damage control by the leadership. And I was
forbidden to breach the unwritten hyper-charismatic code and
expose people like Kenneth Copeland during the times I filled
the pulpit ...
(339) Defending
Apologetics by Sandy Simpson, 9/7/11 Why is it that "Christian" leadership, when documented as
having taught false teachings or having done unbiblical things
publicly and then those things are exposed publicly, have a
conniption fit? They berate those who want to warn them
and others not to teach falsely and want you to contact them
personally or want to have a private meeting to talk about
it. But then if you do contact them personally or have a
meeting all you meet with is "attitude" and nothing gets
changed. What is the use of that? Why do people who
may have been true biblical teachers turned false teachers
assume they have the right to air what they do in public but
those who refute do not have the same rights?
(339) An
Examination
and Critique of Claimed Visits to Heaven and Hell by
Justin Peters, Worldview Times, 9/21/11 These accounts are extra-biblical and often unbiblical.
They divert attention away from the true power of God, the
Gospel (Rom. 1:16), and emphasize subjective experiences.
They may be motivational in a superficial sense but they are not
capable of convicting people of their sin and need of the
Savior. In the words of hymn writer John Keith, "How firm
a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in His
excellent Word. What more can He say than to you He hath
said? To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?" What more
can He say to us, dear friends, than what He has already said?
(340) Dangers,
Toils
and Snares: End Time Warnings by Jenn Lawson,
9/26/11 The 2011 Women on the Watch Conference entitled �Dangers, Toils
and Snares in the End Times� was held in the middle of the
southland on the border of Orange County and Los Angeles county,
in the city of Cypress in mid-September. One would expect
thousands of women to show up, but it was a small turn out with
about 200 people. Speakers with pre-Christian backgrounds
in the New Age/New Spirituality movement, witchcraft and the
occult gave their testimonies and warned about how these things
have not only crept into Christian churches, but are boldly and
blatantly being accepted by many undiscerning people who attend
these churches. This begs the question - Are Christians
being deceived and falling away from Biblical truth?
(341) Is
Your Eschatology Showing? by T. A. McMahon,
10/10/11 What does the Bible say regarding the living out of a
Premillennial eschatology? First of all, the doctrine is
characterized primarily as a believer's "blessed hope": "Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13). Verse 12
indicates what our lives should be like as we are "looking for
that blessed hope": "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world;" John, the beloved, and likely the last
of the apostles to go to be with Jesus, gives us this
exhortation, which no doubt he himself lived out: "Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like
him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John
3:2-3).
(342) The
Tragedy
of Self-deception by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, August/September 2011 - Volume 17, Issue 4 The fact that we are easily self-deceived should surprise no
Christian for, as the inspired prophet Jeremiah wrote centuries
ago, �The heart is more deceitful than all else and is
desperately sick, who can understand it� (Jere 17:9)? Jeremiah
quickly adds, I, the Lord, search the heart and I test the mind,
even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the
results of his deeds.� (v.10). However, this deceitful heart,
which each of us inherits as a result of the fall, leaves us in
a bit of a quandary. How are we supposed to function so as to
walk authentically before the Lord? If even the best and most
sincere can be deceived by their own hearts, then how can we
have confidence that any of our actions, thoughts or motives are
pure? How can we be sure that we are not deluding ourselves no
matter how hard we try to live in integrity?
(343) Spiritual
Warfare by Berit Kjos, 10/24/11 We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most
churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the depravity
he inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt
world simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle,
tolerant, pluralistic helper. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(344) The
Day Christ Was Born by Dave Hunt, The Berean Call,
12/1/11 Regardless of the day, Christ's virgin birth into this world as
a babe was an event of such stupendous proportions that Paul
declared: "great is the mystery..." (1 Tm 3:16)!
(345) Never
Trifle
With False Doctrine by J.C. Ryle, 12/12/11 The whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, must be our rule of
faith nothing added and nothing taken away. Finally, let us draw
a broad line of distinction between those things in religion
which have been devised by man, and those which are plainly
commanded in God�s word. What God commands is necessary to
salvation. What man commands is not. What man devises may be
useful and expedient for the times; but salvation does not hinge
on obedience to it. What God requires is essential to life
eternal. He that wilfully disobeys it ruins his own soul.
(346) What has
become of apologetics and why do it? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/24/11 Apologetics is to be a defense of the faith; it is about the
gospel and anything that pertains to the Bible. Basically it is
answering objections and challenges to the word and the one way
to God made through Jesus Christ. We are told by Peter �But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope
that is in you, with meekness and fear� (1 Peter 3:15)
(347) The
Symptoms
of Seduction by Spirits by Discernment Research Group,
1/18/12 The warning is plain. There are false voices, impressions,
experiences, prophecies, and signs and wonders that cleverly
counterfeit themselves to be authentic-experiential encounters
with the afterlife. These spiritual experiences can seem
genuinely real, perfectly timed and intimately personal as they
speak to our needs and comfort our hearts. But even as they may
seem to meet our emotional and spiritual needs, we must
acknowledge our vulnerability to spiritual deception and
therefore measure these experiences by the full counsel of God�s
Word, all the while knowing that such encounters are
unprecedented in and therefore unsanctioned by Holy Scripture,
which reveals to human hearts the true work of the Holy Spirit
(See John 5:39; 15:26).
(348) �Judge not, that ye be not
judged.� by William MacDonald, One Day At A Time,
1998 People who know little else about the Bible often know this
verse and use it in a most bizarre way. Even when a person is
criticized for unspeakable wickedness, they piously gurgle,
�Judge not, that ye be not judged.� In other words, they use the
verse to forbid any condemnation of evil.
(349) President
Obama
and the Bible by Michael Youssef, One News Now,
2/4/12 Many of us who are biblical scholars have watched Mr. Obama's
use, or should I say abuse, of the Bible with dismay.
(350) Churchianity,
Christianity
or Christ by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/20/12 Our faith is to be toward our savior, our walk is with our
savior; our life is about our savior Christ Jesus, who is God.
He came to rescue us from a fallen world, that had death and
evil as the result of the fall which has become the natural way
of life. Christ taught what is right or wrong from the Old
Testament and gave us further teachings as our New Testament.
Christianity is about Jesus, the living savior, the first to
rise from the dead and live eternally. This is what Paul meant
by �We preach Christ crucified� and yet he would tell the church
�I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ.� (2 Cor. 11:3)
(352) Do The Truths Of Ezekiel 13
Still Apply Today? by Sandy Simpson, 3/1/12 God is going to bring down the false global religion that is
already here consisting of ecumenism, interfaithism and false
teachings and prophecies of all kinds, just as He promised to
break down the whitewashed wall the false prophets built up to
deceive Israel. God will ultimately protect both His
Church and those who actually belong to it who have not been
turned aside by myths and false teachings. Do you think this
chapter still applies or is it ancient history? Let me
illustrate how these timeless truths apply just as much today as
to when God had repeatedly told Israel they were headed for
captivity if they listened to the counsel of false
prophets. God has warned us ahead of time that we of the
end times churches will see a falling away and many will be
deceived.
(353) Beware
Of
Angels From The Dark Side by Marsha West, 3/28/12 Angels fascinate people. For years we�ve been inundated
with books, calendars, stationery, folklore, jewelry,
knickknacks, lunch boxes, tattoos, even cherubic trash
containers. People can�t get enough of angels!
Stories of angelic encounters abound on the Internet. You
ask, �Do you have a problem with angels?� Well, yes. And
herein lies the problem. The messengers are not necessarily
�angels of light� as people have been led to believe. Many
angel enthusiasts have actually met heavenly visitors from the
dark side. Even self-professed Christians are
deceived. How can this be? Shouldn�t Christians be
able to discern what�s real and what�s counterfeit? Not
necessarily. Biblically illiterate Christians are easy to
fool.
(354) Spiritual
Abuse
and the Book of Galatians by Barb Orlowski,
4/4/12 Therefore, though Galatians initially looks like it is dealing
with legalism in the Christian churches there, what Paul was
correcting was a far deeper problem�an entirely erroneous belief
that was fraught with the potential to undermine the true Gospel
of Christ. Once the reader of the Book of Galatians grasps what
the main issue at stake was, then this book will hold a far
richer understanding. From that key perspective, the idea of
church leaders �changing� Christian beliefs today, by adding or
subtracting from the true Gospel message, can be followed with
interest. The need is to question if there is anything that
would lead a follower of Christ away from sole reliance on him
as Savior and Lord. This would gauge if a belief system is
sub-Christian and, therefore, would need to be condemned.
(355) Refute
False
Doctrine Or Adapt It by Ken Silva, 4/5/12 Unfortunately, today too much of the church visible is not
willing to refute those who oppose sound doctrine and instead
has become more like Peter was before back in Mark 8:33. This
would lead to a most startling rebuke from our Lord; Who clearly
told His disciple that he actually held a view that originates
from Satan � �Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your
mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.�
(356) Old
or
Just Sensitive? - The New (Age) Music in the Churches Today
by Pastor John Shipman, 4/10/12 I�m a forty year old but one would think I�m eighty years old!
That is if you listen to worship in today�s churches. Gone are
the days of lovely, Word inspired hymns. No, it will not attract
the young crowd! See why I am feeling old? The well-dressed
choir has been replaced with head-banging young children,
jumping up and down. The song with words that you can hear and
understand has changed into a blur of noise with screams that
hurt my ears (Old Gump!)
(357) Concerned
to
Discern by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 4/16/12 As could be agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the
right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable to Holy
Scripture those who profess the evangelical faith but who, for
reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors, appear to be
departing from the faith.
(359) The
Gospel
Test: Do Your People Really Know the Good News by The
Berean Call, 4/27/12 Imagine waiting outside the doors of the sanctuary of any
evangelical church in America with a video camera and a
microphone at the end of the Sunday morning service. Your
mission? To interview 10 random members of the congregation with
a simple question, "If I were not a Christian and you were to
explain the gospel to me what would you say?"
Updated! (360) Outcome-Based
Conversion:
By Man's Machinations or God's Ministration? by Larry
DeBruyn, 5/4/12 - Read Part
1, Part
2 & Part
3.
In America over the last two centuries, no event has become
more associated with the evangelical-fundamentalist movement
than the altar call. In evangelistic campaigns, revival
crusades, and many church services, the altar call is synonymous
with winning souls to Jesus Christ, or calling backslidden
believers to repent and return to the Lord.
(361) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren Smith, 5/17/12 While our Adversary furiously attempts to undermine the
importance of discernment by ridiculing it, we are not ignorant
of his devices (2 Corintians 2:11).
(362) Don't
Be
Fooled By Deluded Deceivers by Ken Silva,
5/24/12 Since God cannot change, the spiritually mature should see that
the point is still the same: It�s one thing to say you belong to
God, but it�s quite another to have the life to back it up. You
don�t think that the Pharisees had any good works; of course
they did, but they loved the approval of men, just the same as
Rick Warren and Rob Bell and Joel Osteen and Pope Benedict XVI
seem to today. I exhort you, don�t be fooled by deluded
deceivers any longer because this is what the Lord says to those
who are ...
(363) Isaiah
1:18 speaks to us today by Mike Oppenheimer,
6/5/12 God invites unreasonable people to reason with Him. It is God
that initiates the conversation.
(364) As
Iniquity
Abounds by ApostasyWatch, 6/7/12 There can be little doubt that we live in a culture in which
iniquity abounds. Much of the visible church here in the west is
busily engaged in a great culture war, attempting to stem the
tide of evil that has enveloped our nation. We are told that
every political election today is the most important of our
lifetime. If only we will elect the right leaders and expel the
evil doers from positions of power, our nation will be restored
to its former greatness. The church has come to believe that
engaging the culture in this manner is what being salt and light
is all about. I believe we have greatly missed the mark.
(365) The
Authority
Of Scripture by William Webster, 6/12/12 Jesus clearly taught that Scripture is inspired by God. He
regarded it as truth�infallible, inerrant, historically
reliable, authoritative for living, and an all-sufficient rule
of faith.
(366) Resources For
Pastors by Sandy Simpson, 6/17/12 This article was originally written and published in my Pacific
Waves Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1 - March 2002 sent out to
hundreds of pastors and church leaders in Micronesia. It
contains recommended resources as well as those that are not
recommended.
(367) The
Spirit
of Error by J.C. Philpot, 6/27/12 Whether we set forth truth or whether we expose error, and we
can scarcely do the one without at the same time performing the
other, the Word of God must ever be the grand armoury whence we
take the weapons of our spiritual warfare. This is both
apostolic precept and apostolic practice. "Take the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Eph. vi. 17). "If any man
speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. iv. 11).
"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Cor. x. 4).
(368) The
Watchman by Horatius Bonar, 7/29/12 "Some one, then, must undertake the ungracious task of probing
and laying bare the evils of the age; for men must not be
allowed to congratulate themselves that all is well. If others
will not, he will.
(369) Was
Paul
a Pragmatist? by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, 8/3/12 All of the aforementioned, and more, seek justification from a
statement in the Bible where Paul wrote, �I have become all
things to all men, that I may by all means save some� (1
Corinthians 9:22b). Contortedly, contemporaries interpret this
verse to provide apostolic endorsement to do anything to reach
anyone. Such a ministry motif is pragmatism, a belief that
legitimates any practice so long as it achieves the presumed
result of saving some. To the pragmatist, the end justifies the
means.
(370) Vain
Imaginations
- Speculative Ideas and Enthusiastic Visionary Ramblings
by J.C. Philpot, 8/8/12 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope
to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13.) "Be sober,"
adds the Apostle, or, as the word might be translated, be
"watchful." Sobriety in religion is a blessed gift and grace. In
our most holy faith there is no room for lightness. The things
which concern our peace are solemn, weighty matters, and if they
lie with any degree of weight and power on our spirit, they will
subdue that levity which is the very breath of the carnal
mind.
(371) The
Evils
Within the Church by Horatius Bonar, 8/17/12 His voice (Jude) is that of Elijah or John the Baptist. It is
�the voice of one crying in the wilderness.� He speaks to the
declining churches of his day. He speaks to the Church of the
last days. It is against the evils within the Church that he
specially warns. What a picture does he draw of error,
licentiousness, worldliness, spiritual decay, and ecclesiastical
apostasy! Who could recognize the image of the primitive Church
in the description he gives of prevailing iniquity? The world
had absorbed the Church, and the Church was content that it
should be so�
(372) Can
Liberal
Christianity Be Saved? at The Berean Call, Douthat,
New York Times Online, 7/14/12 Today, by contrast, the leaders of the Episcopal Church and
similar bodies often don�t seem to be offering anything you
can�t already get from a purely secular liberalism. Which
suggests that perhaps they should pause, amid their frantic
renovations, and consider not just what they would change about
historic Christianity, but what they would defend and offer
uncompromisingly to the world.
(373) Judge
Not�Judge
All Things by Cornelius R. Stam, 9/1/12 Away, then, with the use of such passages as II Timothy 2:24
and Matthew 7:1 merely as excuses for irresponsibility and for
the criticism of those who seek to stand true to God and His
Word. Let us rather consider prayerfully all that God says about
judging, that we might truly please and honor Him.
(374) Question:
We
are trying to stand to defend the faith and have come across
people believing in the evidence of gold dust, jewels from
heaven.... If we stick to the Word-based miracles only�is that
limiting God? by The Berean Call, 9/2/12 God�s servants are not validated by the most amazing miracles.
�To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them�
(Isaiah:8:20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them.). Some point to Acts:16:20And brought them to the
magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly
trouble our city,, which reads, �And they went forth, and
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming
the word with signs following.� Please note, however, the
�signs� confirmed the �word.� The word remains the
focus. There may be all sorts of wonderful signs, but if the
word is deficient, the signs are of no value.
(375) When lies
become more abundant than the truth by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/20/12 What is a lie? It is like darkness to the light. A lie does not
contain the truth �no lie is of the truth (I Jn 2:21). Light
does not contain darkness, they are not a mixture. A lie
distorts the truth and makes it into something other than its
nature. Truth is often understood as the opposite of what is
false; more accurately it is the absence of falsehood. It takes
integrity and courage to tell the truth, especially in place of
an opposition. The truth can hurt but it will always yield good
fruit when it is accepted and adhered to. It takes integrity to
tell the truth. Unfortunately, in our day, lies are more common
than the truth. There is a raging battle of truth against lies.
(376) Why should
You believe the Bible is the source for all we need to live
and grow for a spiritual life? by Mike Oppenheimer,
10/7/12 �It is written,� is a common used phrase in the Old Testament.
So when we come to the New Testament it would be expected for
Jesus to constantly state �it is written,� along with "Have you
not read� as well as numerous other statement that referred to
looking to the Scripture. He did not mention anything else to
look to. Even after His resurrection when he met his disciples
He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while
I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me." And He opened their understanding, that they
might comprehend the Scriptures� (Luke 24:44-45). The Scriptures
alone were pointed to verify who he was what he said and what he
would fulfill. Read Part
1 & Part 2.
(377) The
Bible
Literacy of Teenage Believers by The Berean Call,
10/13/12 Youth ministry researcher Chap Clark says, �I�m convinced that
the single most important area where we�ve lost ground with kids
is in our commitment and ability to ground them in God�s Word.�
As a result, Barry Shafer says, �The church today, including
both the adult and teenage generations, is in an era of rampant
biblical illiteracy.� Duffy Robbins takes this one step further
when he says: �Our young people have become incapable of
theological thinking because they don�t have any theology to
think about. � And, as Paul warns us, this � leaves us as
�infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and
there by every wind of teaching� (Ephesians:4:14 That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;).�
(378) What
is
the difference between exegesis and eisegesis? by
GotQuestions?.org, 10/22/12 Answer: Exegesis and eisegesis are two conflicting approaches
in Bible study. Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a
text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis
literally means �to lead out of.� That means that the
interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text. The
opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the
interpretation of a passage based on a subjective,
non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means �to
lead into,� which means the interpreter injects his own ideas
into the text, making it mean whatever he wants.
(379) Testing
the
Genuineness of our Faith by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892) Untested faith may be true faith, but it is sure to be small
faith, and it is likely to remain little as long as it is
without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things
are against her: Tempests are her trainers, and bolts of
lightning are her illuminators.
(380) Evangelicals
Rejecting
God's Word by The Berean Call, 10/30/12 I believe fundamentalist defection has more to do with a
spiritual heart condition rather than home schooled kids being
unable to defend YEC in college. It wasn�t a matter of bad
�science� being challenged by unanswerable evidence. It was a
matter of an unconverted heart.
(382) The
Gospel
as the True Armor of God � Deliverance from Demons as Transfer
of Dominion by Bob DeWaay, Critical Issues Commentary,
11/8/12 It is not where demons are in relationship to us; it is where
we are in relationship to Christ � that is the worldview of the
Biblical writers. Those who have believed the gospel are
transferred from one spiritual domain to another. But while we
physically reside in this world, we are surrounded by spiritual
forces of darkness. My thesis is this � the gospel is the armor
of God in which we must stand.
(382) A Trip To Hell? by
Sandy Simpson, 11/8/12 I am writing this article to expose yet another �trip to hell�
story making the rounds on the web. There is a PowerPoint
presentation about it and people who get it are being urged to
forward it to ten more people. Before I get into
commenting on this story, which is quoted in full from the
PowerPoint, I need to help you understand how to discern these
types of stories. One of the most important ways is to
compare what is said with what the Bible teaches, both in the
actual account of hell we have there as well as comparing it to
what the Bible teaches doctrinally and about Jesus Christ.
The full text of the PowerPoint is in red while my comments are
in black.
(383) Raping
Old
Testament Narratives To Promote False Teaching by Dr.
Orrel Steinkamp, 11/17/12 This title is purposefully alarming in order to get the
attention of the reader. Perhaps a little less volatile word
could be abuse. Rape or abuse is to take something by force that
is not yours for the taking. It is abuse when Scripture is
mislabeled and misapplied. Violence is done to the message and
meaning of Scripture
(384) Confronting Abusive
Leaders from Chris Lawson, Vimeo video, 11/29/12
Are abusive leadership tactics and "the fear of man" pressing
you down into submissive silence?
(385) Judge
Not!
... and you will not be judged by Philip Powell, CWM,
12/6/12 �Judge Not� or �Do Not Judge� is an often-quoted verse of the
Bible � by Christians, pseudo-Christians and non-Christians
alike. This is especially true in the today�s neo-pagan,
politically correct Western world, where �judge not� has been
elevated to the status of the �golden rule�. Similarly, the
second half of the verse of Scripture, from which this phrase
comes, seems to have been re-hashed into a �get out of jail
free� card type idea. But does this verse, Matthew 7:1, say, or
mean: �Do not judge AND you will not be judged�?
(386) The Queen
James Bible, the Gay Bible by Matt Slick, CARM,
12/22/12 The Queen James Bible, also known as the gay Bible, is a new
assault on biblical orthodoxy and sexual purity. This is to be
expected in a world of moral relativism and sexual
perversions. the 1769 King James Bible has been reproduced
with only a very few select verses altered. Those verses are
listed below and analyzed. I hope that you will see that the
Queen James Bible is a perversion of the original text and is
the result of obvious prejudices against the truth of God's
word.
(387) Postmodern
Infiltration:
The Neoevangelical Heretical Idea by Herescope,
12/28/12 Separation is not a passive activity. In these perilous times,
believers are called upon more than ever to be on guard against
the seductions of heretical teachings and their teachers. It is
a defensive posture that requires standing firm on the Word, and
continually filtering every teaching through the lens of the
whole counsel of Scripture. To avoid heresy requires active
resistance on the part of the believer. Sometimes a believer
must physically flee from temptation and its circumstances.
(388) Can
A
Goat Be A Sheep? by Rick Frueh, 12/30/12 This is a dangerous and eternally diabolical situation. How
many church members are not born again? How many preachers are
hirelings? How many churches are offering factories? How many
church members go prayer less and without ever once witnessing
for Jesus? I do not say these things from high atop a pinnacle
myself. But how can we remain silent when precious souls are
being deceived? They are not being led into Mormonism, or the
Watchtower, or Christian Science, but let us be painfully frank.
They are being led into a cult just as insidious as the ones we
love to identify. And because these churches are considered
mainstream, their deceptive practices can be even more subtle
and eternally dangerous. It will only get worse as time goes on.
(389) 2012
Was Not The Apocalypse! But When Is It? by Sandy
Simpson, 1/1/2013 When asked by a number of people if the Mayan prediction was
going to come true for the end of the world to occur on 12/21/12
my answer was �What makes you think the Mayans could predict the
end of the world if they could not even predict their own
demise?� Likely they simply ran out of space in the
scribbling of their calendar on their cave walls. But is
there any reliable source of information about when the
Apocalypse will occur? Yes there is. The Bible
prophecies have been accurate all through history so it is our
only source of reliable prophecy regarding the end times.
If you want information on how close we are to the end you need
look no further than what Jesus told His disciples when asked
that very question in Matthew 24.
(390) Rapture
Already by Pastor Larry DeBruyn, Guarding His Flock
Ministries, 1/4/13 As such, Christians should not attempt to fill in any void of
knowledge regarding the afterlife by engaging in occult
activities (Leviticus 19:31) or paying attention to the reports
of the OBE or NDE experiences of others because curiosity can
kill the Christian and �we walk by faith, not by sight� (2
Corinthians 5:7). Seeking voices other than the Prophet�s
regarding matters of the afterlife betrays a heart of unbelief.
By His words and His works, the Prophet (Jesus) has informed us
about all we need to know of Heaven and how to go there when we
die. So in conclusion, I would ask us, who name the name of
Christ and have put our faith in and given our allegiance to
Him, are His promises not enough? If the answer is negative,
then maybe we need a heart, or should I say . . . faith
check-up. After all, Jesus counseled His disciples, "Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father�s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John
14:1-3) So we see that in the face of death, Jesus� words are
sufficient.
(391) The
gospel and the kingdom of Godby Mike Oppenheimer,
1/8/13 Jesus Christ must return to establish His authority and rule on
earth for His kingdom to officially commence. To do this He
separates the sheep from the goats (Mt.25), removes those who do
evil and came against his people. Then the faithful church will
rule and reign under his leadership which will be centered in
Jerusalem.
(392) The Demise of Biblical
Discernment by T. A. McMahon, The Berean Call, Volume
28, Issue 2, February 2013 In last month�s issue of this newsletter we exhorted our
readers to discipline themselves to read the Word of God daily.
The emphasis was on developing a habit, the best and most
necessary habit�one that every believer should have. Of course,
we encouraged reading the Bible as a basis for living one�s life
by what it teaches, which is the only way that one who is born
again spiritually can mature in the faith. Yet, here is the
simple truth that too many Christians have missed: if we don�t
read God�s Word for ourselves, we can�t truly know its
instructions. If we don�t know God�s instructions, we can�t
follow Him, and we therefore can�t do what pleases Him.
Tragically, many if not most Christians
haven�t considered that simple truth.
Their spiritual beliefs tend to be a collection of
things they�ve heard (sermons, radio, TV, books, movies, etc.)
mixed with what they may or may not have gotten from the Bible.
They have been spoon-fed rather than getting their spiritual
meals directly from God�s Word.
(393) The
Bible:
Too Low, Too Human, Too Safe? at The Berean Call,
1/18/13 More than once I have been accused of being a bibliolater , a
person who idolizes the Bible, who has excessive reverence for
the letter of the Bible. I�m sure many other Christians have
been accused of this as well. In my experience, this charge
tends to be leveled against those who affirm the infallibility
or inerrancy of Scripture; it may also be leveled against those
who affirm the sufficiency of Scripture. People who level such a
charge are objecting to what they see as a woodenness of faith
and practice that stems from an understanding of Scripture they
deem too literal.
(395) Who
Shapes
Our Conscience and defines RIGHT or WRONG in today's corrupt
culture? by Crossroad, 1/21/13 What determines our values in today's fast-changing world? Who
imprints its values on our conscience? Do parents?
Teachers? The Media? Or our omnipotent God? It depends! In
former times, the Christian conscience played a leading role in
American schools and families. Parents who trusted God treasured
His Word and taught it to their children. With His Word
imprinted on their conscience, they would know whom to follow
when faced with a challenge. We live in a new era! The
Bible-trained conscience has largely been replaced by contrary
guidelines that twist, scorn or deny God's truth. Some still
point to a conscience, but most people redefine it to match
today's cultural values and personal inclinations.
(396) �Babylon
Rising�
and Canon in Crisis by Pastor Larry DeBruyn,
1/27/13 Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871-1952), the first president of Dallas
Theological Seminary, once reportedly said that all heresy is
either the Bible plus, or the Bible minus. The work of radical
higher criticism, as it has affected, even determined, the
liberal view of the Christian faith since the late 1800s, has
seen to it that there�s a lot of Bible-minus ideology amongst
professing Christians now-a-days, even among so-called
evangelicals. Now however, voices are emerging which advocate a
Bible-plus view of Holy Scripture.
(397) Marinated
Christianity by Rick Frueh, 2/2/13 For two thousand years Christianity had marinated inside a
cauldron of earthly culture and that process has eventually made
this remarkable faith appear innocuous and unremarkable and even
culturally assimilated. While the first community of faith
seemed to humbly eschew the pleasures of the culture, this new
breed seemed to embrace them. And while the earliest followers
of Jesus remained humble even under the severest of
persecutions, this modern day church fights fire with fire and
complains loudly at the appearance of even what would seem to be
a harmless secular slight against them. No longer would they
pray and fast for their enemies and trust Jesus to take care of
them. Now they would do verbal, legal, and political battle with
those in darkness.
(398) Jesus
is
the Way by Crossroad, 2/3/13 Jesus is the Way -- the only way -- through the pain, fears,
losses and challenges of our times! What's more, He is the
only Way to a victorious life with God today and forever.
(399) Those
Who
Resist by Kevin Reeves, 2/15/13 These are critical days for the body of Christ. We are in the
epoch of church history spoken of by the apostle Paul as
�perilous times� (II Timothy 3:1). What makes the danger all the
more imminent is that not much of the church believes it. Many
of us have owned the glorious but erroneous vision of an
end-times remnant walking in unconquerable power, transforming
entire societies. The result has been nothing short of
catastrophic. How soon we forget. Every cult in the world has
sprouted from the fertile soil of deception, always initiated by
a drastic move away from the primacy of the Word of God into the
nebulous, self-defining atmosphere of experience. At New
Covenant, our desire to accumulate otherworldly wealth (i.e.,
supernatural power) had ushered us into a contrived system of
personal spiritual elevation much like such active cults as
Mormonism and the Jehovah�s Witnesses.
(400) God's
Help
for Hard Times - Biblical Keys to Overcome Pain, Fear and
Hardship by James L. Morrisson with Maria Kneas,
2/17/13 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12 :2) In order to deal with
pain and hardship, we must think Scripturally instead of
thinking the way that the world does. The theme of
transformation runs throughout the New Testament. God does not
want us to stay where we are. He wants us to change --
radically. Change is often difficult and can be painful. But it
is what God wants and expects of us.
(401) Add-Ons:
Augmenting
Scripture With Diverse and Strange Doctrines by
Herescope, 2/18/13 It is an age-old deception. Adding to the Scripture is one of
the easiest ways to deceive believers. Why? Because error is
cleverly brought in as "new information" that it is claimed will
"illuminate" the Word and enrich the life of a believer. Sola
Scriptura is being challenged by many new modes of augmentation.
Adding to Scripture with supplemental "diverse and strange
doctrines" is a form of heresy.
(402) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren Smith, 05/12 While our Adversary furiously attempts to undermine the
importance of discernment by ridiculing it, we are not ignorant
of his devices (2 Corintians 2:11).
(403) The
Doctrine
of Church Discipline by Pastor Daryl Hilbert, 2/24/13
There is a battle to be waged in the Christian life. The war
has been won by our Champion-Savior, but there are myriads of
skirmishes that must be fought in the battle with sin. Do not
grieve if you find yourself always in the midst of skirmishes
with sin. Rather fret, grieve, and awaken if you hardly ever
hear the trumpet sound and you have no bruises to show for your
worth as a soldier in the King�s army.
(404) Hungering
for truth or succumbing to the lies which only bring deception
by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/25/13 Is everyone in the world becoming deceived? Deception can now
be found in every facet of life at various degrees. The
military, businesses, food, the news, school education, the
church. Yes the place you may gather for worship may not be as
safe as you thought. We need to guard our heart with all
diligence in these days. Read Part
1 & Part 2
(405) Setting
Aside
the Power of the Gospel for a Powerless Substitute by
David Dombrowski, 3/6/13 If I were to say to you that much of the church today has set
aside the power of God, would you be shocked? After all, we live
in a time where having the power of God in your life is a major
theme preached from pulpits across the country. And book after
book, sold in massive quantities, pour off the presses promising
a special connection or intimacy with God that will
revolutionize your life and make it more dynamic. Yet, I believe
I can prove that in fact, the power of God is being laid aside,
and I will tell you how.
(406) Backsliding
From
the True Jesus by Prof. Johan Malan, 3/16/13 The world is under strong pressure to turn their backs on the
true Christ of the Bible in order to advance a multireligious
receptiveness to the appearance of the false Christ of all
faiths. The coming Messiah-King of the deceived world will be
the Antichrist, the great adversary of the true Christ. An
increasing number of people are positively inclined towards his
coming, and are completely ignorant of the fact that they were
deceived by the devil to engage in paving the way for the
appearance of a false prince of peace for all of humanity.
(407) Radical
Music
for Radical Times: Has Christian Music Gone Too Far?
at The Berean Call, 3/25/13 TBC: In finding "refuge in the lyrics of current gospel music"
the Church is bypassing the real refuge. Old and now mostly
forgotten composer Ira Sankey wrote in 1885, "The Lord's my
rock, in him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm." He was
simply pointing to our true refuge. Psalm:1:1-2 [1] Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night. tells us, "Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night." Not all modern music is
without merit, but for those who "push the envelope," they
compromise with the world and in doing so very likely
shortchange their listeners, leading them away from the Rock
which is our refuge," our "shelter in the time of storm."
(408) Kabbalah,
Cahn,
and Hebrew Mysticism by David James, 4/1/13 Jonathan Cahn has over 1,700 of his messages available through
the Hope of the World website. The descriptions of many of these
messages are quite revealing about his approach to handling the
Word of God�which appears to be mystical at its core:
(409) The
Error
Of A-Millennialism by Andrew Robinson, 4/4/13 Augustine is the Charles Darwin of the Church, who abandoned
biblical literalism in favour of allegory, and pioneered a
survival-of-the-fittest theological system which centred on the
Church as the New People of God. He believed Israel was finished
and that all unfulfilled Old Testament prophecies were to be
reinterpreted spiritually or allegorically in favour of the
Church. Consequently, references to Israel, Zion and Jacob, with
their attendant promises, no longer referred to the Jewish
nation.
(410) The
Death
of Reason and the Return of Jesusby Jacob Prasch,
Moriel Ministries, 4/7/13 Due to this suspension of reason, the stage is being set for
Jesus' warning that "For this reason" He will come at an hour
when He is not expected.
(411) Does
the Bible allow lying? Is it ever permissible? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/11/13 The Scriptures expressly condemn lies calling the Devil the
Father (originator) of them to man (John 8:44). It was Satan who
first distorted God�s instructions to Adam and Eve. By having
them disobey it affected not just them but all of us through
history.
(413) The
Need
for Discernmentby Mike Gendron, 4/18/13 When asked, "What will be the signs of your return?', the Lord
Jesus mentioned several signs, but he repeated one sign three
times. There will be false teachers, false prophets and false
Christs who will deceive even the elect if possible (Mat.
24:4,11,24). Knowing this we must examine everything carefully
so that we can hold fast to that which is good and abstain from
every form of evil (1 Thes. 5:21). We need to identify and
expose religious leaders who are servants of the devil carrying
out his goal is to deceive the world (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
(414) Overcoming
Obstacles
to Trusting in the Lord by Maria Kneas, 4/21/13
How can we increase our trust in God? One way is to identify
some of the obstacles to trusting so that we can deal with them.
We can ask God to: (1) make us aware when we fall into these
ways of thinking or reacting, (2) deal with things in our hearts
that are fertile ground for these hindrances, and (3) give us
practical strategies, and grace, to overcome these problems.
(415) The Real
Spiritual Warfare taking place by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/23/13 The invisible world is not a separate supernatural realm, it is
not a realm of evil spirits. It is the same dimension we live in
except the spirits are invisible to us, both God's and Satan�s
angels use it. They (fallen angels) have influence on men�s
minds who are darkened by sin. They influence us in writing, in
art, in education and especially in spiritual matters since this
when people come closest to the truth. The warfare is not about
finding what demon is doing what as modern teachers of spiritual
warfare are tecahing, but it is found in the church just as the
Bible warned it would be.
(416) Understanding
the
Mixture by Jacob Prasch, 4/28/13 Can you explain God�s reasoning behind Leviticus 19:19?
(417) Biblical
Literalism by Crosswise, 5/2/13 It�s time the Church, most especially the Emergent and
hyper-charismatic wings, came back to true Biblical
Literalism - instead of engaging in eisegesis,
thereby taking Scripture out of proper context in order to fit
one�s own interpretation. Teaching congregants how to
apply proper exegetical principles will alleviate this sort of
thing and bring forth Biblical literacy. Any subjective
experience or thought must be measured against the literal,
plain sense of the Bible, and, if not found to be congruent with
Scripture, it must be rejected as not of God.
(418) Going
against
God "just for fun" by Marsha West, RenewAmerica,
5/2/13 Christian � take Paul's instructions to heart and daily put on
the full armor of God to protect against the rulers of the
darkness of this world.
(419) Shepherds
Or
Wolves? by Roger Oakland, 5/3/13 If you belong to a church that has a good shepherd who teaches
the Word and follows Jesus, support him in every way. However,
we must always remember that a shepherd is just a man. I have
known cases where shepherds have gone astray and they didn�t
even know it. This is because they are human. If you know a
shepherd like this pray that God, by His grace, will open his
eyes.
(420) Making
Christ's
Last Command Our First Concern by Mike Gendron,
5/8/13 There are few things that should be more exciting to Christians
than being used by God to draw others to Himself. Those who know
and love their Savior will not be content to attend church and
hear the Word preached; they will have a compelling desire to
share it with others. Everything we learn from God's Word should
make us more committed to making Christ's last command our first
concern.
(421) In
Him
All Things Hold Together - A Look at Colossians 1:16-17
by Dr. Bruce K. Alcorn, 5/14/13 It does not take much of an imagination to understand that
major problems would arise if God no longer held together those
forces He used when He made our atoms, our molecules and our
cells. If the electrons stopped orbiting around their nuclei we
would be in deep trouble just like we would be if the earth
stopped orbiting around the Sun.
Updated! (422) The Serpent seed
- Teaching "from the Serpent" by Mike Oppenheimer,
5/23/13 One of the most deceptive doctrines that has slithered into the
church is the serpent seed teaching. First popularized by
William Branham and currently held by Arnold Murray of the
Shepherds Chapel and his followers that have adjusted some of
its meanings. Read Part
1, Part 2,
Part 3 & Part 4.
(423) Has
Bible
Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled? by Thomas Ice,
5/27/13 Like many of the arguments presented by preterists, they appear
to have some initial merit when looked at by the biblically
uneducated, but upon closer examination prove to be without
merit. Preterists falsely built upon the misguided assumption,
that they attempt to "prove" from various prooftexts, that Bible
prophecy had to have its fulfillment within about 40 years of
Christ�s first advent. There are many implications, both
theological and practical, that would require a major adjustment
to the Christian faith if they are right. Since their arguments
are incorrect, so are the implications that flow from such
thought. Because of the recent spread of Preterism, pastors and
teachers need to be prepared to defend orthodox eschatology from
this attack. Those who believe that Christ came in a.d. 70 will
certainly not be found looking for our Lord's any-moment return
when He does rapture the church without any signs or warning
before this blessed event. Are we looking back at the past or
forward to the future? Maranatha!
(424) How close
are we to the Second Coming? by Sandy Simpson,
5/27/13 Matt. 24:34 "I tell you the truth, this generation
will certainly not pass away until all these things have
happened." This verse from Jesus' famous exposition on the
destruction of the temple and what would happen to precede the
end times and His return has intrigued many through the
generations. But it is not until this generation that it's
meaning has become clearer.
(425) Shepherds
Or
Wolves? by Roger Oakland, 5/28/13 The Bible provides a model for leadership. The model is quite
simple. Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. The good shepherd is
in charge of the sheep. Christians are sheep who belong to the
flock. Unlike what some religious groups teach, the sheep should
have personal access to the good shepherd. There is one mediator
between God and man. We don�t need a priest to intervene.
(426) Risky
Things to ask your Pastor by Mike Oppenheimer,
6/3/13 I have been watching a biblical change take place that is not
beneficial, and can bring harm to the pastor member
relationship. Unfortunately there were patient, caring pastors
that have changed their attitude toward sheep that ask questions
that may be uncomfortable to them. There are an increasing
number of pastors that want only smooth sailing in their
ministry without any rocking the boat. If you ask them hard
questions they will either look at you as a trouble maker or
shut down their relationship they have with you. That is not how
they are to treat the sheep that are under them. Those who have
this leadership position are to be just as accountable as any
other member, not less. We should all be equals in the body of
Christ. Pastors are not to be like politicians that go
around and kiss babies and schmooze with everyone and not really
be involved in their lives. Pastors are part of the body; and
though they have a different position they are to be there for
you, really there.
(427) Making
a Fable into Jesus; A different way to present the Gospel, or
a different gospel? by Mike Oppenheimer, 6/19/13
Nonetheless, we have what some are calling the Superman gospel.
It is what is called a recontextualization. Instead of
concentrating on the gospel message from the Bible - our need to
be forgiven for sin, they find correlations from another story
(in this matter, the movie) and use it to illustrate the person
of Jesus. Once you remove the integral parts for the gospel to
be proclaimed, you can shuffle the pieces around and fit
anything into the self-made mode, even portions that are not
from the Bible. One is reduced to banter as they post modernize
the message for an audience that is not be receptive to biblical
truth.
(428) Superman:
Flying
to a church near you at The Berean Call, 6/19/13
TBC: This isn�t a new development. Jerry Siegel and Joseph
Shuster, both Jewish, were the creators of Superman. Superman�s
original Kryptonian name was �Kal-el, which borrowed Hebrew
names which can be taken to mean "voice of God." Siegel and
Shuster were borrowing the terminology and themes of Scripture
for their own use from the beginning. Furthermore, we see
continuing evidence of the (marketing) world using the church
for material gain (2 Peter:2:3And through covetousness shall
they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment
now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth
not.). This is indeed one more example of shepherds fostering
"showtime for the sheep."
(429) Don't Defile True Doctrine
by Allistair Begg, 7/14/13 God's altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of
human skill or labor might be seen upon it. Human wisdom
delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a
system more artificial and more congenial to the depraved tastes
of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the Gospel
carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel and
not the truth of God at all.
(430) Entertaining
Blasphemers by The Berean Call, 7/18/13 We are increasingly concerned with a number of reports seen
regarding evangelical churches inviting false teachers into
their services. For example, singer Joel Hemphill, writer of the
popular song �He�s still working on me,� has for several years
emphatically denied the deity of Christ. His �revelation,�
according to his own statement, was progressive. "Along with
many other things that He told me, He said for me to study the
Scripture, as He was going to reveal Himself to me in His word.
This seemed strange as I was forty-six years old, had been saved
since I was ten, had been a minister of the Gospel since the age
of nineteen and thought I had a pretty good grasp on who He was.
I was Mistaken!"
(431) Replacement
Theology:
Disdaining God's Character by David Ettinger, Zion's
Fire, 7/25/13 For most of Church history, the place of Israel in God�s
present and end-times scenario has been controversial, divisive,
and egregiously flawed. It was the Catholic theologian Augustine
of Hippo (A.D. 354-430), better known as St. Augustine, who
spread the teaching that though God had chosen the Jews as a
special people, their dispersion by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70
was a fulfillment of prophecy. Augustine believed that God
allowed the Jewish people to survive this �scattering� as a
warning to Christians regarding the consequences of disobedience
to God. Subsequently, Augustine began to question those portions
of the Bible relating to Israel and erroneously surmised that
those passages were allegorical rather than literal. He
concluded, for instance, that the thousand-year kingdom of which
Revelation 20 speaks cannot be literal, but rather spiritual.
The kingdom of God, he declared, is �in the hearts� of faithful
believers, but was never intended to find its fruition in
actuality � a physical kingdom on the earth over which Christ
will rule.
(432) Christians
Are
Exhorted To Judge by Mike Gendron, 7/29/13 Many Christians are unaware of their responsibility to judge
and test all things. Paul exhorted: "I pray that your love may
abound still more and more in real knowledge and all
discernment, so that you may approve the things that are
excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of
Christ" (Phil. 1:9-10). Christians need to take judgment
seriously in this life because of the great responsibility that
awaits us in the future.
(433) Can
Christians
Be Spiritually Deceived, and How Can They Avoid it?
by
Roger Oakland, 8/4/13 If our battle is not against flesh and blood, then why is it
that when we are in conflicts here on this earth that flesh and
blood always show up? What are the reasons for this? Is it
possible for believers to be agents for darkness and not even
know it? Is it possible for entire organizations to be misled
because they have not kept their focus on Jesus Christ and His
Word? How is it possible for believers and even leaders to
believe they are following Jesus, when instead they are
following man?
(434) How
To
Do An Exegesis by Moriel Ministries, 8/7/13 Correct biblical exegesis is the second most vital aspect of
studying and understanding God's Word second only to
illumination of The Holy Spirit and prayer.
(435) A
�Cleavage� in the Church by Sarah Leslie, Discernment
Ministries Newsletter, July/August 2013 Recently Charisma magazine � of all
places! � published an article by a female writer, Jennifer
LeClaire, who asked a very simple and bold question: �Why Do
So Many �Born-Again, Spirit-Filled� Women Show Off Cleavage in
Church?� (7/25/13).
(436) Paine
&
Ware - A false eschatology that is plainly heretical,
potentially cultic and ultimately lethal by James
Jacob Prasch, 8/14/13 In the last several weeks Moriel has
received multiple inquiries and flat out expressions of
serious concern regarding the eschatological paradigm of Paine
& Ware. The source of this teaching (which we can only
conclude to be erroneous and dangerous) on the important
subject of the return of Jesus is the hypothesis postulated by
Frank Paine and Arthur Ware in the last century derived from
their writings �Restored Vision� and �Miracle of Time�.
(437) Today's
21st
Century "Christianity" - No Bible Required! by Paul
Proctor, 8/19/13 This may come as a shock to most
Christians, but if you do a search of the less contemporary
translations of Scripture, the word �feelings� is virtually
nonexistent. Where it does appear, it is cited as more of a
superficial, even negative attribute than a positive; and yet,
as we watch and listen to many from today�s churches, be they
leaders or laymen, not only do we see a clear fixation on
feelings, both physical and emotional, we notice that those
feelings have by and large become a replacement for faith. In
fact, if you substitute the word �feelings� wherever you see
the word �faith� in those older Bible versions, it will become
clear to you what motivates and guides the average �Christian�
today � point being: most of us are not following the Living
Word of God by faith, we�re simply following our feelings and
calling it �faith.�
(438) The
Error of Replacement Theology - Part 1 by Andrew D.
Robinson, CWM, 8/20/13 As we move ever closer to the return of
the Lord Jesus, Scripture teaches us to anticipate an
escalation of opposition against Israel from the international
community. Zechariah speaks particularly of the rise of the
nations against Jerusalem (the heart of the Middle East
conflict), a development that is well advanced and which will
climax after the Rapture. Tragically, many Evangelicals, to
their shame, have joined ranks with the enemies of Israel, in
what must be one of the ugliest and most pernicious
partnerships ever witnessed in the history of the Church. It
defies belief to see so-called Bible believers arm-in-arm with
unbelieving Catholics, Quakers, Muslims, (Islamists),
Humanitarians, Secularists, Politicians, and a host of other
lobby groups, in drumming up support for their virulent
anti-Israel cause.
(439) Spiritual
Warfare by Crossroad, 9/1/13 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to
punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." 2
Corinthians 10:2-6
(442) Can
Christians
Be Spiritually Deceived, and How Can They Avoid it?
by Roger Oakland, 9/29/13 If our battle is not against flesh and
blood, then why is it that when we are in conflicts here on
this earth that flesh and blood always show up? What are the
reasons for this? Is it possible for believers to be agents
for darkness and not even know it? Is it possible for entire
organizations to be misled because they have not kept their
focus on Jesus Christ and His Word? How is it possible for
believers and even leaders to believe they are following
Jesus, when instead they are following man? These and other
questions intrigue me. Only the Bible has the answers. And
though, I am sure, not all of these questions will be answered
fully in this life, we can gain the vital insights that we
need from the Word of God. The book of Revelation, which has
often been ignored for a lack of understanding, will prove to
be more and more insightful in these last days before Jesus
returns.
(443) Panentheism
and
the Trinity by Crosswise, 10/2/13 Panentheism is an English word derived
from Greek roots: pan = �all�, en = �in�, the, from theos =
�God�. This is in distinction from pantheism, meaning
�all God�, or �all is God�. Before more fully defining
panentheism, we�ll briefly review the Christian Trinity in
order to compare and contrast.
(444) Sin
is
at the heart of what is wrong in your life by Marsha
West, Renew America, 10/9/13 In today's pop culture it's all about a
person's "felt needs." So if a minister's message fails to
meet those perceived needs, disgruntled consumers, like the
aforementioned Beth, go looking for a church where sin is
swept under the rug. Pastor Brent Riggs reminds us that "Sin
is the essence of everything bad, wrong, ruined, spoiled,
messed up and broken in your life. Therefore, you should be
educated about it."
(445) Biblical
Signs
Of A Work Of God adapted from Jonathan Edwards,
10/17/13 I will now show positively what are the
sure, distinguishing scriptural evidences and marks of a work
of the Spirit of God. By these marks we may judge any
operation we find in ourselves or see among people without
danger of being misled. In this I shall confine myself wholly
to those marks that are given us by the apostle John in the
fourth chapter of his first epistle.
(446) Walking
with
God Selected excerpts from a message by J.C.
Philpot, Preached at North Street Chapel, Stanford,
on Lord�s Day Morning, Jan. 23, 1859
The Lord will perfect His work; what He
has begun, He will carry on and complete. And as salvation is
all of his grace, it opens a way of escape for every sinner
sensibly in his own conscience condemned by the law, and
reveals a mode whereby God can not only save him, but be
eternally glorified thereby in the Son of His love.
(447) Did
Jesus have a physical body when He resurrected and will He
return in this body? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/20/13
In the Old Testament The Angel of The
Lord (known as the covenant maker) appeared as a Christophany,
as a man. Jesus took up a actual human body of man in the New
Testament through the virgin conception. He, the Son of God
became a man. He took up a human nature to house His deity,
the Son of God became the son of man. Jesus rose with the same
body but it is glorified, He is unable to die now (Rev. 1:18).
This will be the body we will have, as he is the firstfruits
to eternal life in the body (1 Cor.15:20). He is now as
Scriptures states in his high priestly ministry in his body
making intercession (1 Tim.2:5). And He will return in this
body with God�s glory, as Scripture states every eye will see
him (Rev.1:7) � they will see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory� (Mark 13:26;
Mt.24:30;26:64) He does not return as spirit, nor does He
exist only as Spirit but He has added a human nature to His
deity since He was incarnated on earth. Thus God became man
but is not limited to the body. So Jesus keeps His humanity
and at no time discarded it, either in death or in
resurrection.
(449) The
Accuser
of the Brethren - Overcome and Cast Down by J.S.
Philpot, preached on Lord's Day morning, August 15, 1852
Look not then to any other quarter for
help or hope; but trust wholly and solely to the Lord, who can
bring you through every trial and difficulty, and give you to
live in His glorious presence for ever.
(451) Come
Back
to the True Living Water by David Dombrinski,
11/10/13 Jesus is that well of living water,
offered freely to whosoever will invite Him into their lives
and hearts to be Lord and Savior. To the unbeliever, He is the
invitation, �let him that is athirst come� (Revelation 22:17).
To the new believer, He is that new life where, �old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new� (2
Corinthians 5:17). But to those who have known Christ for
awhile, even a long while, He is the reminder to come back and
be refreshed again to the only water that �shall be in him a
well of water springing up into everlasting life� (John 4:14).
When we partake of that water, it does us much good. And when
we share that water with others, it does no harm to our
neighbor. It is the only water that is clean and pure and
flows from the throne of God.
(453) The
Critical
Value of the Bible by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
11/15/13 Those of us who have been Christians for
a number of years can sometimes lose sight of the critical
value of the Bible in our lives. I�m not referring to those
whose walk with the Lord could be characterized as lukewarm at
best. I�m thinking more of those who consider themselves to be
Bible-believing Christians, who attend and participate in a
Bible-based church, who enjoy fellowship with committed
believers, and who generally see the fruit of the Spirit in
themselves and in their families. As great as those things
might be, however, they can also dull to some degree (call it
a creeping complacency) one�s awareness of how miraculous and
necessary the Scriptures are. What I have in mind for this
article is to underscore some things about the Bible that
perhaps we�ve heard before and some things of which we may not
have even been aware. The goal is to refresh our thinking and
our thankfulness for God�s supernatural communication to
mankind. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(454) �Another
Gospel?� by Harry A. Ironside THE SOLEMN FACT IS THERE IS NO OTHER
GOSPEL. Every pretended substitute is but a Satan-devised
delusion meant to turn men away from the strait gate which
alone leads into the narrow way, and make them contented as
they crowd down the clear side of the broad way to eternal
perdition.
(455) Good
News,
Bad News (Audio) by Allistair Begg, 11/19/13 Committing to follow Jesus is not a guarantee of an easy,
trouble-free life. On the contrary, believers are to expect
unjust suffering and be prepared to respond rightly. Alistair
Begg demonstrates from Genesis 40 that the godly response is not
to give up or seek revenge, but to trust God and care for
others, even in the midst of personal struggles.
Listen to Part
1 and Part
2.
(456) Selfie
Scriptura by Herescope, 12/6/13 [(Selfie: high tech, publicly-displayed self portrait, Oxford
Dictionary word of the year 2013). (Scriptura: Middle English
and Latin scr?pt?ra, writing. See script, -ure). Literally: self
scripture.]
(457) Can
Satan, the devil be saved? by Matt Slick, CARM,
12/6/13 ... there is no atonement for the angelic realm. Heb. 2.16-17,
"For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives
help to the descendant of Abraham. 17Therefore, He had to be
made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Therefore,
since the Bible tells us that there is no help to angels which
means or is no atonement for them, then fallen angels, the devil
included, cannot be saved.
(458) Wicked
Idolatry by Rick Frueh, Following Judah's Lion,
12/9/13 If this raises a lot of money watch for more preachers to put
out their own Bibles. Today we have the Jimmy Swaggart Bible,
the John MacArthur Bible, the Max Lucado Bible, the Schofield
Bible, the Ryrie Bible, the Dake Bible, the Joyce Meyers Bible,
the C. S. Lewis Bible, the Henry Morris Bible, and many, many
more who added their name to God�s Word and profited by their
sale.
(459) The
�Work
Crew� of the Church�the ministry of discernment by
Barbara Wilhelm, 12/15/13 On today�s stage ministries engaged in biblical discernment are
often beleaguered and harassed as being critical and judgmental.
Yet the Bible holds the ministry of discernment to be one of the
finest tools in establishing and maintaining biblical
purity.
(460) Taking
Care
of God's Flock by Chris Lawson, 12/20/13 Christian maturity is about obeying our LORD Jesus Christ
personally, obeying His message of righteousness on a daily
basis, obeying Christ's doctrine, and being willing to defend
God's truth regardless of the cost. It is only when Christians
are able to discern between good and evil and practically live
out a godly Christian life that they will be fully equipped and
useful "for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Our hope and
prayer is that the following articles will help you be a more
discerning Christian, that you will mature in your faith
properly, and that you will be equipped so that you can help
instruct others. There is absolutely no reason for biblical
compromise and spiritual dullness, even in an age of apostasy
and deceit. God has given us His Life, His Son, His Spirit, and
His Word - what more do we need?
(461) Should
we
use genderless terms when referring to the God of the Bible?
by Matt Slick, CARM, 12/22/13 No, we should not use genderless terms when referring to the
God of the Bible. The Bible tells us that every word is
inspired. Everything that God has given us is there for a
reason. If we adopt the politically correct ideology and impose
it upon the Bible regarding the use of the masculine, feminine,
or neuter pronouns, then what is to stop others from altering
other words in Scripture that don't suit their politically
correct, gender equality perspective as they relate to things
such as male eldership (1 Timothy 2:12-13)?
(462) Question:
Are
you familiar with Randy Frazee [co-editor Max Lucado] and his
book called The Story? by The Berean Call,
12/25/13 Question: Are you familiar with Randy Frazee [co-editor Max
Lucado] and his book called The Story ? Our church is
promoting it for small group study and I have a few concerns.
Would appreciate any information you may have. Response:
We have been going through a copy of The Story for
some time. When someone condenses the Bible into what they
perceive are the important parts, what becomes quickly apparent
is the truth of Paul�s inspired statement that � all
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness...� (2 Tm 3:16-17). What some deem to be
unimportant often contains the most pertinent details.
(463) Warning
All
Churches by The Berean Call, 12/26/13 Over this year, there have been a number of news reports on
another movement in the church advocating for the acceptance of
homosexual behavior and same-sex relationships. Matthew Vines,
an openly homosexual 23-year-old student at Harvard University,
posted a video on YouTube of a speech he gave on homosexuality
and the Bible. In the talk, he claims repeatedly that God�s Word
does not condemn monogamous same-sex relationships. Now, a
recent report from the Christian Post highlighted the amount of
compromise happening within the church on this issue. The
headline of the article explains, �50 �Hand-Picked� Christians
Trained To Convince Churches To Re-Interpret Scripture�s Gay
Boundaries.� Vines apparently hosted a training conference
recently in his home state of Kansas for Christians who want to
convince their churches to accept same-sex relationships.
(464) Three
Kinds
of Groups by Crossroad, 1/4/13
A helpful chart comparing Christian, Pluralistic and Dialectic
church groups.
(465) "They Will Believe
The Lie" by Sandy Simpson, 1/16/14 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 "The coming of the lawless one will be
in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of
displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are
perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth
and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will
be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted
in wickedness." This has always been an interesting passage to
me for a few different reasons. What is �the lie� that is
talked about here in verse 9? What are the ways that
�wickedness deceives those who are perishing� and how long has
this been going on or does this only begin to happen at the
coming of the lawless one? In what way does �the lie�
cause those who do not believe the truth to �delight in
wickedness�?
(466) Being
Encouraged
in God�s Word: Facing the Unexpected by Maria Kneas,
1/19/14 We can ask God to increase our trust in Him and our love for
Him. We can ask Him to make us faithful. We can ask Him to
enable us to stand with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego�to be
determined to be faithful to our God no matter what happens to
us and the people we love. "The LORD God is my strength, and he
will make my feet like hinds� feet." (Habakkuk 3:19)
(467) Denominationalism
-
The Sin of Party Spirit Masquerading as Christian Unity that
Ultimately Unites with Apostasy and Unbelief by Jacob
Prasch, 1/21/14 When we, the Body of Christ, have unity of The Spirit we only
need a fellowship of fellowships for practical cooperation in
things like missions, Christian education, and charity, not any
hierarchical structure other than the headship of Christ and
doctrinal supremacy of scripture devoid of any organised or
institutional monolith. One Faith, One Baptism. Once a movement
fragments doctrinally it is fragmenting spiritually. Theological
fragmentation is symptomatic of spiritual dissolution, and
spiritually dissolution will conversely always result in
doctrinal disharmony. When this happens it is inevitable that
the movement morphs into a denomination that is theocratically
held together by a combination of administrative, legal, and
financial priorities and considerations. There is an artificial
unity that is cohesive only by the glue of temporal factors that
displaces and replaces doctrinal and authentic spiritual unity.
(468) Biblical
Discipleship
� the Scriptures by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, January/February 2014 - Volume 20 Issue 1 As we consider the means by which spiritual change, growth and
development takes place we find that the Scriptures constantly
point the believer to the very inspired words it contains. We
need not look to extra-biblical sources such as those found in
the Spiritual Formation Movement, among others. Growth in
godliness comes primarily through the power of the Holy Spirit
who enables believers to understand and apply the Word of God to
our lives.
(470) Biblical
Discipleship
� Prayer by Gary Gilley, Think On These Things,
November/December 2013 - Volume 19, Issue 5 The Spiritual Formation Movement has rocked the church. Ancient
disciplines, most often practiced within the monastic movement
in the early centuries of Christianity, have been dusted off,
repacked, and resubmitted to believers as the means for
obtaining spiritual growth. There is increasing discussion about
fasting, journaling, pilgrimage, simplicity, solitude, silence,
contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction in Christian
literature. What can be learned from this renewed interest in
spiritual formation and what are the dangers? The last eight
editions of �Think on These Things� have been written to
interact with the history, teachings and dangers of the
Spiritual Formation Movement. I want to now turn from the
disciplines practiced in modern spiritual formation to the
biblical alternative to spiritual formation, as described in the
earlier articles. We will examine the means, or disciplines if
you choose, which the Word of God clearly identifies as ways God
has designed for His people to be transformed into
Christ-likeness and to experience intimacy with Him.
(471) Blood
Moon
Madness at The Berean Call, 2/24/14 There ARE a lot of prophetic signs being fulfilled in our
lifetime. But there's no Biblical basis for tying the Blood
Moons into predicting the return of Jesus--they mean zilch!
(472) The
New
Tolerance Is Cruel� by Bill Randles, 3/1/14 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10) Currently,
there is an alternative to the judeo christian concept of
love for our fellow-man, which is called tolerance. It looks
like love and perhaps more importantly to many it actually feels
like love, but it�s not love at all.
(473) Treason
in
the Church: Trading Truth for a "Social Gospel" by
Berit Kjos - September 2006 Infiltration and deception have been tools of conspirators
through the ages, and the Church has been a primary target!
After all, God warns us that "the whole world is under the sway
of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) One of his most effective
schemes is to redefine God's Word and divert Christians from His
unchanging Truth to man's shifting ideals. For example, God
calls us to serve the poor and fills our hearts with love for
the needy. That's why His true followers around the world have
willingly given their lives to share His truth and love in
perilous places. But today's world-centered church illustrates a
different kind of service. Designed to please man rather than
God, it trains its servers to hide the "offensive" truths of the
gospel. Like Rick Warren, it uses the Bible to validate its
purposes but emphasizes organizational behavior rather than
Biblical beliefs -- in short, deeds instead of creeds.[3] Behind
its noble appearance hides a postmodern version of the
century-old "Christian Socialism."
(474) A
World In Revolt�Psalm 2 by Bill Randles, 3/9/13
The first two Psalms go together. Perhaps it isn�t immediately
apparent, because in some ways they are completely different,
but I believe the Holy Spirit led those who placed them side by
side as the opening of the Psalter. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(475) Faithful
Ministers
Versus False and Corrupt Ministers - A Brief Overview with
Compiled Resources by Chris Lawson, 3/21/14 In an age of mass confusion as to what a "Christian Minister"
actually is and does, the following compilation is given in
order to help clarify what the Bible teaches about what a
biblical "minister," or "servant" is, and does, as opposed to
what false, corrupt and deceitful ministers are and do.
(476) Question:
How
to Find a Biblical Teaching Church? by Lighthouse
Trails, 3/23/14 We have often been asked, �How do I find a good Bible-believing
church?� There are many believers who are struggling to find one
in their own communities. We usually recommend they make phone
calls to potential churches and ask a few concise questions such
as ...
(477) The
Holy
Spirit and Holy Scripture by Pastor Larry DeBruyn ,
3/29/14 Jesus told His disciple/apostles: �When the Helper comes, whom
I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth
who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you
will testify [about Me] also, because you have been with Me from
the beginning� (Emphasis added, John 15:26-27, NASB).
(479) Measuring
The
Experience by Roger Oakland, 4/12/14
While visiting the home of Joseph Smith near Palmyra, New York,
the location where Mormonism originated, I met a Mormon girl at
the information center by the name of Sadie. When I expressed
interest in knowing more about her faith, she gave me a booklet.
Later in the day, I read through the information Sadie had given
me.
(480) Four
Blood moons are coming - Significant or not? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/13/14 For something spoken of in prophecy to be fulfilled all the
elements, the descriptions must be included. This means those
points not just found in one particular scripture but others
that also give information on the same event and time period. If
the sun is darkened or the moon turns red it does not mean
fulfillment has occurred unless the other points mentioned
coincide. This is where prophecy teachers get ahead of
themselves and make something out of near nothing. We should be
careful not to say this will be fulfilled or is fulfilled when
it is not.
(481) Has
the
Genesis Account of Noah's Ark Been Discredited? by The
Berean Call, 4/14/14 Does a �Recently Deciphered 4,000-Year-Old Tablet� Discredit
the Genesis Account of Noah's Ark? �But forget all those images
of a long vessel with a pointy bow�the original Noah�s Ark, new
research suggests, was round.� Those words highlight the AP
article discussing the tablet that just went on display at the
British Museum on January 24. This recent assault on God�s Word
comes from Irving Finkel, the assistant keeper of Ancient
Mesopotamian script, languages, and cultures at the British
Museum. According to reports, Finkel received the tablet a few
years ago from the son of an amateur historian named Leonard
Simmons, who had acquired it in the Middle East following World
War II. The cell-phone-sized tablet is also the subject of
Finkel�s new book, The Ark Before Noah.
(482) We need a firm
foundation to weather the storm of false ideas by
Sandy Simpson, 4/15/14 Matthew 7:24 �Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine
and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his
house on the rock." "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the
Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!" � 1787
Joseph Funk & Robert Keene. A house built on the rock
will stand. The Rock is God and in particular, Jesus
Christ. Therefore His written Word is the teachings of the
His Holy Spirit and a Rock we can depend on. Anyone who
wants to prove anything theologically, historically,
scientifically or anything else needs to start with correct
information. If you start with a faulty foundation, as you
build your arguments, they begin to fall apart because they are
not supported in God�s truth. If you want to build on a
firm foundation, you need to start the process by a careful
study of God�s Word in context of the verse and according to the
whole counsel of God�s Word. The Bible is the best
commentary on the Bible. There are many false ideas floating
around out there that have been there, some from long ago.
Those ideas were formed in lieu of God�s Word, not from
it. I am going to give some examples of false ideas in
history, science and theology and show how they could have been
avoided if the Bible had been consulted. Yes, the Bible is
accurate for more than just theology. Keeping it in
context we can accurately understand history, science and a
whole host of other subjects.
(483) Why
Is
the Church Powerless? by William MacDonald
(1917-2007)
Spiritually we are in a shocking condition. The status of many
local fellowships is bad news, and deteriorating by the
minute.
(484) Does
the
Bible really say we're not to judge? by Marsha West,
5/9/14 Some professing Christians become infuriated when a
"watchblogger" has the chutzpah to report on a false teacher by
name, as if naming names is unbiblical. High-profile leaders and
bloggers who mention heretics by name are often accused of
demonizing or judging them.
(485) Discernment
by Acts 17:11 Bible Study, 5/11/14 Are we to "judge" teachings, situations, and even people in the
church? Many Christians are fearful of making judgments, and
unclear if this is the mission and duty of the church. After
all: "Judge not!..." (We will consider hypocritical judgment, or
criticism, in a moment.) This fear of using proper judgment may
come from a simple lack of understanding of God's will, or from
superstition (Col 2:18-19), or even from a lack of the Holy
Spirit (Jude 17-19). Scripture is useful for correcting such
conditions (2 Tim 3:16-17).
(486) Those
Who
Do Not Lead Christians to Maturity by Sandy Simpson,
5/11/14 Eph. 4:12-14 to equip his people for works of service, so that
the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in
the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth
by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching
and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming. Heb. 5:13-14 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid
food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained
themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(487) What
is
Redemption? by Dr. Harry Ironside, 5/18/14 The word �redemption� is one that runs all through the Bible;
in fact, we can say without any suggestion of hyperbole that it
is the great outstanding theme of Holy Scripture. This important
truth runs through the Book like the proverbial red strand that,
we are told, runs through the cordage of the British navy.
Everywhere, from Genesis right on to Revelation, you find God in
one way or another presenting to us the truth of
redemption�redemption in promise and in type in the Old
Testament; redemption in glorious fulfillment in the New
Testament.
(488) The
End
Of The World (re. Blood Moons) at The Berean Call,
5/21/14 TBC: A number of those promoting Blood Moons theories also
pushed warnings in 2012 based upon the Mayan calendar (see:
http://www.thebereancall.org/content/question-i-ve-been-astonished-how-s...).
Other dates have also been singled out in recent years with the
same results as seen as in the eclipse occurring in April�i.e.,
nothing. In short, these predictions are based upon unbiblical
foundations that cannot stand.
(489) Flocking
to
other Christianities at The Berean Call, 5/23/14
That's why scholars took to the "Jesus's Wife" fragment and
various so-called "gospels" like, well, seagulls to trash piles.
That's why Taussig can insist, as the Washington Post put it,
that the fragment is "ostensibly as important as documents that
make up the accepted New Testament."
(490) Keep
Thy
Heart With All Diligence by David Dombrowski,
5/25/14 It is all too easy in the busy world in which we live today to
get caught up in worldly concerns that would tend to draw our
hearts in a different direction than God intends. A Scripture
that comes to mind is the one in Proverbs that says: Keep thy
heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
(491) Biblical
Discipleship
� The Transforming Life by Gary Gilley, Think On These
Things, (May/June 2014 - Volume 20, Issue 3) Other forms of spirituality, both in biblical times as well as
today, may have the appearance of �wisdom in self-made religion�
(2:23), but in the end they are mere detours from the real life
found in Christ. Like the Colossians, Paul was concerned that
the Corinthian church was being led to a spiritual dead-end. He
writes, �But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by
his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the
simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ� (2 Cor 11:3).
Spiritual formation, mysticism, New Age spirituality and a host
of other influences draw believers today away from the
simplicity of Christ. Our Lord would have us cling tenaciously
to Christ Himself, shedding the weights that slow us down and
the sins that so easily entangle us, so that we can run the race
set before us with endurance, �fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith� (Heb 12:1-2).
(492) A Response To To The Larry De
Bruyen Follow Up Article To Mark Mullins On Herescope
by Jacob Prasch, Moriel Ministries, 6/11/14 Here , unlike Mark Mullins, Larry De Bruyen rightly
distinguishes between the Haggadik midrash (based on a
hermeneutic employed by Jesus and Paul) and the Halakik midrash
(rejected by Jesus & Paul), but then muddles the two.
The fundamental failure to address the Midoth of the School of
Hillel where Paul was trained in the New Testament (which
Longenecker - his quoted scholarly source insists to be true)
would (as with Mark Mullins) get his paper automatically
dismissed by academic peer review in a scholarly forum or
academic institution and contributes to his convoluted
speculations in the issues he labeled as 1 & 2 in his
propositions and conclusions. His conspicuous avoidance of
the use of the very term Midrash where it is found in scripture
though ranks as absurdity.
(493) Is
The
Drum Beat Of Rock Music Demonic? by Watchorn Church,
6/13/14 A Scriptural, Musical, & Historical response to the
assertions of Larry De Bruyen with ragards to rock music.
Six WMA audio tracks downloadable.
(494) Christian
Marching
Orders by Charles Spurgeon And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, �All power is given
to me in heaven and in earth; go, therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.� (Matthew 28:18)
(495) Bright
Hope
in Dark Days by Charles H. Spurgeon The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine.
He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written
in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace," and it is a great truth, that religion is
calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above.
(496) SRN
April
2014 Newsletter (PDF) by Chris Lawson, Spiritual
Research Network, 6/27/14 Gateway to Ghosts, Hauntings and Apparitions (Part 1):
Occultism and the Paranormal - By Chris Lawson One of Satan�s Final Masquerades - By Sandy Simpson Mantra Meditation: A Warning! - By Chris Lawson Mantra Meditation - By Ray Yungen
(497) What
is
inerrancy and why should we care? by Biblical
Inerrancy, 7/4/14 These are the professors of some of the finest evangelical
schools in the nation, who are responsible for training the
pastors of today and future generations, and they are saying
that they are comfortable with these verses not being factual.
This is an outright departure from the historic definition of
inerrancy.
(498) Biblical
versus
Cultural Christianity - Oswald Chambers comment on Modern
Christianityat Crossroad, 9/8/14 Biblical Christianity means being joined to Jesus Christ
through faith in what He did for us at the cross, then allowing
Him to live His life through us, so that others might know Him
and see His love. (That love may include sharing His warnings as
well as His promises with those in need.) The established
Church, like Old Testament Israel, has always tended to drift
away from its devotion to God and become just other
institutions, subject to the same human impulses and painful
consequences as the rest of the world. Please don�t blame human
evils on a "straw-man" or a convenient cultural distortion of
Christianity. Consider some of the differences between Biblical
faith and today's cultural deviations.
(499) Leviathan by Sandy
Simpson, 9/22/14 This study is up for interpretation but I find descriptions of
leviathan in the Bible fascinating. This creature that
existed, and may yet exist, is used as a description of the
might and power of the enemy.
(500) Worship
More
Pagan than Christian? at The Berean Call,
10/15/14 There is a great misunderstanding in churches of the purpose of
music in Christian worship. Churches routinely advertise their
�life-changing� or �dynamic� worship that will �bring you closer
to God� or �change your life.� Certain worship CD�s promise that
the music will �enable you to enter the presence of God.� Even a
flyer for a recent conference for worship leaders boasted: "Join
us for dynamic teaching to set you on the right path, and
inspiring worship where you can meet God and receive the energy
and love you need to be a mover and shaker in today�s
world�Alongside our teaching program are worship events which
put you in touch with the power and love of God." The problem
with the flyer and with many church ads is that these kinds of
promises reveal a significant theological error. Music is viewed
as a means to facilitate an encounter with God; it will move us
closer to God. In this schema, music becomes a means of
mediation between God and man. But this idea is closer to
ecstatic pagan practices than to Christian worship.
(501) The
Need
of Discernment in the last days (DVD series) by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/18/14 We are told in the last days that false prophets will increase,
that deception will be pervasive in the world and IN THE CHURCH.
What are the New spirit movements and methods that are
consistently springing up and entering the church? Discernment
is the need of the hour for our survival and keeping the faith
of Biblical Christianity. In this video we use some of the worst
examples to show the dumbing down of the church in discernment,
resulting in deceiving the church. We will learn where and from
whom this originated in modern times. Revelations that
contradict the Bible, new books in heaven, glory services,
Dominion goals of the New apostles and prophets, people claiming
to go to heaven, prophetic interpretation of tattoos and
piercings, new age healing, drunken stupors, becoming frozen and
silent. What is passing for revelation and Bible teaching is
astounding. We need to understand what is taking place and stand
in the faith to be victorious. How do we identify it or refute
it? How can we protect ourselves and others. Discernment
is a gift that accompanies the Holy Spirit who is our umpire
that keeps us awake to distinguish truth from error. The Bible
tells us to grow in discernment, so that we can mature and help
others who are easily deceived. Being grounded in the core
doctrines of the faith and building on them makes one immune to
the many deceptions that surround us today, this is what this
video series is about.
(502) What
Is
Christian Palestinianism? with Paul Wilkinson at The
Berean Call, 10/31/14 Program Description: Tom McMahon discusses the dangers of
Christian Palestinianism with Dr. Paul wilkinson of Hazel Grove
Full Gospel Church as they critique Hank Hanegraaff's interview
with Dr. Gary Burge. Listen to the MP3 or read the
transcript of Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(503) Take
Heed
To Yourselves And All The Flock by Dr. Harry Ironside
(1876-1951) Objection is often raised even by some sound in the faith -
regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative and
of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been
against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who
assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New
Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and
the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character
of ministry-namely, showing the Satanic origin and, therefore,
the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems
which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as
"damnable heresies."
(504) Characteristics
of
Cults and Cultic Influences! by Chris Lawson,
11/7/14 Four patterns found in CULTS and CUTLIC movements that can
shipwreck your Christian faith and destroy you and your family!
(505) EXPECTATION
(He
is Coming!) by Dr. Harry Ironside This, then, is our expectation; this is our hope! And the Lord
would have us living day by day in view of the possible
fulfillment of the promise of His coming again. When you get up
in the morning, cultivate the attitude of soul that leads you to
say, �Christ may come today; and if He were to come today, I
want Him to find me walking in obedience to His holy Word.� And
when you go to sleep at night say, �Christ Jesus may come
tonight, and I can rest in perfect peace, knowing that when He
comes I shall be caught up to meet Him.�
(506) Evangelicals
that promote the mystical power of communion by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/24/14 Lets begin with a general in the NAR of Pierce and Wagner, Ana
Mendez Ferrel who teaches. �He told His disciples that the bread
was His body broken for their sins, and the wine was His blood,
sealing the covenant of forgiveness. Even more important, He
said His body was real food and His blood was real drink. If our
spirits don't take in their needed food and drink, is it any
wonder we are weak?� So then the covenant was sealed before
Jesus went to the cross? Why does anyone listen to this kind of
nonsense that is clearly Catholic teaching. She claims we need
to understand the Jewish feast of the Passover- does she? No one
was healed by participating in the feast, it was a shadow of
Christ the genuine light who redeemed us with his own blood.
(ACT Note: This is the same lady who allegedly climbed
up Mt. Everest and killed the Queen of Heaven and the devil
there.)
(507) Howling at
the Moon by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/7/14 The false teaching teaching of blood moons occurring today.\
(508) Watchmen
Who
Are Not Watchmen by James Jacob Prasch, 12/10/14
What Ever Happened To Matthew 24? On Your Walls O Jerusalem I
Have Appointed Watchmen; All Day And All Night they Will Never
Keep Silent. You Who Remind the Lord Take No Rest For Yourselves
(Isaiah 62:8). The prophetic watchman of Jerusalem and Judah,
then and now: It was Isaiah who first prophesied God would raise
up watchman concerning the forthcoming events in the history of
the Hebrews generally, and their country Judah specifically,
with special reference to their capital Jerusalem, where the
Temple and Holy Ark were located - God's presence with them. As
the events prophetically predicted by Isaiah unfolded we indeed
see God calling the Prophet Ezekiel as the definitive watchman
in the scriptural usage of the word (Ezekiel 3:17, 33:7), and it
is Ezekiel that biblically most demonstrates what a watchman is
and what he does. But first we must note that it is not a term
found in the New Testament, it firstly was an office for the
ancient Hebrews. Therefore, although there are without doubt
those functioning as 'watchmen' in the church, in order to grasp
their raison d'etre we must first grasp their Old Testament
nature exemplified in Ezekiel (the only individual specifically
called a 'watchman'). We need to understand some of the
differences between Old and New Testament prophets (which
despite the license that cessationists effectively issue
themselves to pronounce passages of scripture not to their
liking null and void, still do exist in the church - eg. 1
Corinthians 12:29 & 14:32).
(509) Fight
the
spiritual forces of wickedness -- and win! by Marsha
West, 12/11/14 Satanism...religious liberty...beheadings...gender
confusion...ecumenicalism. My tendency is to fret about such
things, even though God reminds us in His Word: Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil
4:6-7) Likewise, 1 Peter 5:7 commands believers not to be
anxious but to lay all our worries on God because He cares for
us. So is there any question that His people are to go to Him
with the hard things, lay them at His feet, and trust that we
can literally "let go and let God"?
(510) Temptations,
Tests
and Triumph - The Victory of the Cross by Crossroad,
12/14/14 "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory
divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit,
washed in His blood. "My brethren, count it all joy when you
fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience." James 1:2-3 "...the Lord your God is testing
you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 13:3
(511) Discernment
or
Criticism? by Roger Oakland, 12/16/14 Taking a stand from a biblical perspective with regard to
purpose-driven-emerging Christianity is not very popular these
days. Those working towards establishing the kingdom and
�getting closer to Jesus� through contemplative practices rooted
in eastern mysticism are very outspoken. If you are not in favor
of what they are promoting, you are labeled a hater and against
everything.
(512) Certain
Men
Crept In by Roger Oakland, 12/24/14 What would Paul and Jude write to the church if they were here
today? Would their message have changed in any way? Based on
current trends that dilute the simple gospel of Jesus and make
it into a �social-humanistic-psychological-what�s-in-it-for-me�
gospel that rejects the imminent return of our Lord� I
don�t think so. Let the book of Jude be a wake up call for us
today!
(513) Another
Jesus
or the True Jesus � Whom Are You Serving? by Roger
Oakland, 4/10/09 The apostle Paul was a man with a passion for the truth. While
his ministry clearly focused on proclaiming the saving grace of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was also concerned when he saw
the truth being compromised by Satan�s subtle deceptive plan.
While Paul made every effort to teach the church at Corinth the
truth about Jesus and His death on the Cross to save them from
their sins, false teachers and false doctrines had infiltrated
the church. Obviously some were being led astray.
(514) When
Change
is Expressly Forbidden by Danny Ison, 2/13/15 There are those who try to tell us that the warning at the end
of the Book of Revelation applies exclusively to revisions
attempted to only that book of the Bible and not the rest, but
as with all things biblical, our understanding of any principle
of the Lord comes from the whole of Scripture and not by lifting
out and highlighting just a single reference. Moses, Solomon and
Paul, at various points of history, provide the foundation for
what is finalized in the last verses of the Bible on behalf of
the whole of Scripture, that God�s entire Word is closed canon
and provides no option for human editing, be it in any form of
redaction or embellishment. And yet something has taken place
within the walls of the Church since the turn of the new
millennium for which I can find no previous historic parallel:
openly changing God�s Word in spite of the express mandate
otherwise.Some of the most popular leaders within Christianity
have altered God�s Word in ways that no Christian cult, no rival
religion, nor any enemy of the cross I know of has dared to do.
If such distortions of God�s Word had been engaged in by the
usual suspects working against the true Church, I would
characterize it as some kind of desperate attempt to fabricate
their lie to give it an outward appearance of authority. But how
one explain this coming about at the hands and from the mouths
of those whom most of the present-day Church�s membership
recognize as their own?
(515) I
can�t be deceived because I�m a Christian! by Mike
Oppenheimer, 2/23/15 The Bible speaks of a certain time at the end of the age where
deceivers will become commonplace and there will be so much
confusion that truth will become rare, few will speak it.Matt
24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no
one deceives you."For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am
the Christ,' and will deceive many.� To those who believe. Luke
21:8 And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many
will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has
drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. The word he is not
in the original translation. So we have Jesus warning of mean
saying they are Christ (or christed- anointed) and men saying �I
am�, saying they are God (i.e. the new age and word faith
teachers)
(516) Is
there a rapture? Is there a resurrection? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 2/27/15 What is called the rapture (the removal of the believers
upwards, the church meets Jesus in the air) is when the living
saints are transformed to be in immortal like Christ. If you do
not believe in the rapture then you cannot believe in the
resurrection, they are both joined together as the same event,
nearly simultaneously.
(517) Disingenuous
Hermeneutics by Sandy Simpson, 2/23/15 I was reminded of a comment by Rev. Gary Gilley made on our
6-DVD series called �The New Apostolic Reformation � What is it
and where is it going?�. He was addressing proper exegesis
versus wrong ways to interpret the Bible. He said that
those who inject their own ideas and doctrinal methodologies on
the Bible, making it into their own image and to their own
liking, are using �Fairytale Hermeneutics�. I always liked
that definition and will now add one of my own with regards to
how people lie about what the Bible says when it comes to their
own preconceived notions, upholding mistaken Biblical
interpretations. When you find yourself having to make up
false definitions and other interpretations that are not
according to the clear teaching of Scripture, you end up being a
type of false teacher. I learned long ago that if you want
to teach the Bible correctly you let it interpret itself.
You teach what Jesus, the Apostles, Prophets and Patriarchs did,
with the help of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to plug in
manmade doctrinal systems on top of Biblical truths
(518) God's Method of
Consistently 'Warning' and 'Teaching' (Video) by Chris
Lawson, 3/12/15 One of the ways God expresses this is through his consistent
warnings against satanic spiritual deception, false teachers,
false prophets, deceivers, the enemies of Israel, liars,
deceivers, spiritism, sorcerers, the tools of the occult, the
enemies of the Church, false gospels, counterfeit "Jesus's,"
false apostles, false brethren, doctrines of demons, the
antichrist spirit that dominates each age and the world's
system, Mystery Babylon, end-times deception the coming personal
Antichrist and his false prophet (Rev. 13) and more.
(519) They will
reject truth and believe The Lie! by Mike Oppenheimer,
3/15/15 John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- "the Spirit
of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and
will be in you. This is what separates believers from the world,
keeps them from the world and the enemy who rules over it,
TRUTH. We are kept by the Spirit of truth.
(520) The Danger
of "New Revelation" by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/15/15
Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:6, �that you may learn in us not to
think beyond what is written that none of you may be puffed up
on behalf of one against the other. Once someone is allowed to
tell people stories like; Jesus appeared to them in their room
or they visited heaven and they were given new revelation, the
rest comes easy. They become as if lost at sea, adrift with
their fantasy revelation that makes them more important. They
have something to say that no one else does because they were
chosen.
(521) Those
Who
Are Spiritually Deceived Are No Longer Able to Think for
Themselves by Kevin Reeves, 3/18/15 Some may think it is extreme to compare the spiritual deception
and control tactics within the church today to that of the Nazi
regime and the death camps, but we should remember that the
church in Germany in the 1930s was very much like the church is
today�having a head in the sand mentality about spiritual
deception and turning religious leaders into super-human heroes
who can do no wrong. Perhaps we are not all that different than
Christians in Germany back then. We should not fool ourselves
and think we would never be duped like that.
(522) The
Old
Rugged Cross by Crossroad, 3/29/15 "...the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God." (1
Corinthians 1:18) To a world bent on social unity and moral
laxity, the cross stands as a divisive and humiliating obstacle.
Attempts to minimize its offense through laws and intimidation
have bullied both secular and church leaders into continual
compromise. Public crosses are demolished or hidden; Bibles are
forbidden in schools, the traditional days for celebrating the
resurrection have been renamed "spring break;" and countless
corporations and government agencies ban cross-shaped pins or
jewelry. Even Jesus Himself has become a popular target for
media mockery and ridicule!
(523) Noah�s
story...will it become our story? by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/1/15 Noah�s story is one of separation as he kept himself and his
family from the defections and corruption of the society he
lived in. He gave a testimony to all those who would ask about
the boat he was building, not doubt being mocked as it was being
built. The people watching him do this year after year for their
whole lives until it was completed.
(524) Warning!
Spiritual
Deception Abounds! (MP3) by VCY America, 4/8/15
Today more than ever we seem to be bombarded with individuals
who are intentionally attempting to get people to believe lies
regarding Christianity, our Lord and Savior and His word, the
Bible. One example is Reverend John Shuck, who ministers at
Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon.
Reverend Shuck claims he doesn't believe in God yet defends his
'Christianity.' He also claims that the Bible is a human
product and that while Jesus may have been a historical figure,
most of what we know about him is legend. To Reverend
Shuck, God is a symbol of myth-making and isn't credible as a
supernatural being or force. This is just one example that
Vic presented of people today who, while standing in their
pulpits wearing their religious garb, propose ideas that have
nothing to do with the Bible. The result? A survey of more
than 4,000 adults shows that Americans are conflicted regarding
Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. The survey
showed that the idea that Jesus is God just doesn't register
well with 'millennials' (those born between 1984 and 2002). This
edition of Crosstalk also mentioned a new Bible that replaces
the name of God with that of rap star Kanye West, Vic retells
the story of The Modernist Preacher Entering Hell and callers
share their comments as well.
(525) Is
the
Bible Better on T.V.? with J. B. Hixson and Tom
McMahon, 4/11/15 On this program and next week, the subject is the upcoming NBC
special broadcast on Easter Sunday titled A.D.: The Bible
Continues . It is a followup to the series aired on the History
Channel and its theatrical spinoff Son of God , and my guest to
discuss this production and the problems with translating the
Bible visually is J.B. Hixson. J.B. is the author, Bible teacher
- he�s a Bible teacher and radio host. His ministry is Not By
Works, and can be found at www.notbyworks.org, and you can go on
his website to order his latest book The Great Last Days
Deception . Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(526) The
Unseen
Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos, 5/1/15 We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most
churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the evil he
inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt world
simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle, tolerant,
pluralistic helper. Since the 18th century's birth of the "Age
of Reason," an increasing number of "enlightened" Western
leaders and influential "change agents" have tried to discredit
the Bible and silence Christian believers. More recently, a vast
number of politicians, media masters and educators have joined
the battles against Biblical truth and morality.
(527) God�s
Desire
and A Warning and a Plea by Ray Yungen, 5/5/15 Just what exactly is God�s desire for mankind? Does He want to
send people to Hell? Does He want anyone to live eternally
without Him? Scripture is very clear about this when it says:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter
3:9) God makes a strong plea to all people, giving them every
opportunity to receive Him. It is God�s desire that none should
perish eternally. That�s why he offered His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ�the only perfect sacrifice for mankind�s sin: Therefore
as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the
free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans
5:18) What it comes down to is the preaching of the higher self
versus the preaching of the Cross. The New Age is saying that
God is the higher self in man�that God is just a meditation
away.
(528) The
"New
Model" Gospel by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, 5/15/15 For over 50 years at least, a new message to call the
unconverted to Christ has been inching it's way virtually
undetected into a dominant place among evangelicals.
(530) Knowing
Our
Triune God by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
5/23/15 The doctrine regarding the Trinity (the three Persons of the
Godhead) isn�t something that any finite individual can fully
comprehend. The concept is beyond the grasp of our mortal minds.
And yet, God has given to mankind a great deal of information
about the Trinity throughout the Scriptures�information that His
created beings may and must understand, albeit imperfectly.
Although the term �Trinity� isn�t found in any Bible verse, that
which the Trinity comprises is found from Genesis through
Revelation.
(531) The
Necessity
of Biblical and Discerning Pastors (MP3) by Chris
Lawson, 5/27/15 This audio includes a brief overview of Ephesians chapters 1-3
and an expositional study of Ephesians 4:11-16. It also serves
as a clarion call to pastors and church leaders to "Prove [test]
all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thes. 5:21).
Based on Ephesians 4:11-16, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle
Paul makes is very clear that pastors are to equip the saints
for the work of ministry. Many pastors and church leaders in our
day, including countless church elders and youth leaders, are
not only not teaching the whole counsel of God, they are
allowing many aberrant and heretical teachings into the Body of
Christ. This leaven of false teaching comes through in sharing
speaking platforms with false teachers, the allowance of false
teaching in church �book� studies, conferences and compromised
bookstores. This study will help church leaders take a closer
look at their own lives as well as the doctrines they profess to
believe.
(532) Raising
Up
Biblical and Discerning Leaders (MP3) by Chris Lawson,
6/3/15 The Fear of the Lord; Repentance; Dealing with heresy; Revering
God instead of man; Consistent Bible reading; Seeking out Bible
teaching leaders and ministries; Avoiding excesses and extremes;
Defining your terms; Interpreting Scripture with Scripture;
Using the Bible and Bible study tools instead of
pop-Christianity books and fads; Defining biblical terminology
in context; Knowing the basic essentials of the Christian faith
and teaching them; Teaching the basics of biblical discernment;
Using the proper rules of biblical interpretation; Understanding
what a �cult� is, what �the occult� is, what �aberrant� means,
and what a �pseudo-Christian cult� is; Finding out what leads to
heresy and why; Educating yourself on the threats and dangers
that are in the church today; Learning what biblical
hermeneutics is all about; Educating your spouse and children in
Scripture; Understanding schools of Interpretation and the
dangers of �allegorizing� and �spiritualizing� Scripture;
Testing all things by the Word of God; Avoiding all appearance
of evil; Recognizing the signs and symptoms of cults, spiritual
abuse; and more.
(533) "...whether
things
on earth or things in heaven" by Sandy Simpson,
6/2/15 Col. 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness
dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through his blood, shed on the cross. I ran across
this verse again the other day and it made me stop and
think. Why would Jesus Christ have to reconcile things in
heaven? I understand fully why He had to do that on earth
where sin took control, as well as the physical universe which was
also affected by sin, but in the third heaven? In looking at
the various commentaries on this subject it is apparent that
people have different ideas about what this means.
(534) Marks of False
Religion - A study of Colossians 2:8 in context with
applications for today by Sandy Simpson,
6/11/15
Christians, in order to remain faithful, need to take seriously
the repeated admonitions of the Apostles to stay true to Jesus
Christ, the Gospel and sound doctrine. This is the only way
to protect ourselves from the wolves who continue to invade the
churches. Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep�s clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves.
(535) The
Reality
of Spiritual Warfare: The Invisible War & the Victory
of the Cross by Berit Kjos, 6/20/15 God's creation is truly amazing! We may be familiar with
life on planet earth, but the dimensions of His unseen
habitations reach far beyond our human comprehension. That
heavenly realm -- including God's armies of supernatural angels
-- is mentioned throughout the Bible, but few of us seem to take
it seriously. Usually hidden from our earth-bound eyes stand two
kinds of warriors: God's faithful angels and Satan's malicious
demons. God uses His loyal angels to guide, fight, protect and
watch over His people. He uses Satan's demonic hordes to enforce
His justice, punish the wicked, and train us in spiritual
warfare. While He calls us to follow Him, share His Word and
spread His love, He also prepares us to face spiritual battles
that involve evil forces as well as the good. "Then my
enemies will turn back in the day when I call; this I know, that
God is for me.... In God have I put my trust: I shall not be
afraid. What man can do unto me." (Psalm 56:9, 11)
(536) Noah�s
story, will it become our story? by Mike Oppenheimer,
7/6/15 Matt 24:38-39 "For as in the days before the flood, they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark," and did not know until the flood
came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son
of Man be.� Noah�s story is one of separation as he kept himself
and his family from the defections and corruption of the society
he lived in. He gave a testimony to all those who would ask
about the boat he was building, not doubt being mocked as it was
being built. The people watching him do this year after year for
their whole lives until it was completed.
(537) Is
Psychological
Counseling Biblical? with Martin and Deidre Bobgan (Part 1)
by The Berean Call, 7/11/15 On today�s program and next week, as well, we�ll be discussing
what the Scripture has to say about believers ministering to one
another, which, sad to say, is foreign to the way most churches
with rare exceptions go about counseling, even under the label
of �biblical counseling.� My guests to discuss this important
subject are Dr. Martin and Deidre Bobgan. They are prolific
writers with more than 20 titles to their credit, nearly all
addressing the scriptural problems with psychological counseling
and Christian psychology, so-called. Many of their books can be
downloaded from their website, which is www.pamweb.org, or you
can order their books, their hardcopies, from The Berean Call.
(538) A
Brief Review Of The Theological Paper Of Daniel R. Jennings
Entitled �Except For Fornication� by James Jacob
Prasch, 7/14/15 In his public paper freely available on the Internet, Daniel R.
Jennings, (without doubt a sincere and genuine brother in
Christ) represents himself as one formerly holding to the
doctrinal belief that adultery provided scriptural grounds for
divorce based on the teaching of Jesus in Matthew�s Gospel,
(Matthew 5:31-32 & Matthew 19: 3-12) but that based on
further primarily linguistic study, he now maintains that this
is not the case and that the only New Testament grounds for
divorce is a case of pre-marital fornication by a wife who
deceitfully misrepresents herself as a virgin.
(539) The
Danger of New Revelation by Mike Oppenheiimer,
7/18/15 Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:6, �that you may learn in us not to
think beyond what is written that none of you may be puffed up
on behalf of one against the other. Once someone is allowed to
tell people stories like; Jesus appeared to them in their room
or they visited heaven and they were given new revelation, the
rest comes easy. They become as if lost at sea, adrift with
their fantasy revelation that makes them more important. They
have something to say that no one else does because they were
chosen. The reality of demons should not be dismissed, or
underestimated, they are deceptive. They have one think they are
in contact with God and pride is always the bait on the hook.
Encapsulated in their new teaching is God is with me as they
present to the hearers their new revelation.
(541) Will
Catastrophe
Strike The Earth In September? by Al Dagar,
8/2/15 Will it be an asteroid, a comet or a meteor that will strike
the earth? What of the Four Blood Moons, the Year of Shemitah,
Jade Helm 15? Christians are hearing that prophets are
predicting terrible things to occur this coming September, 2015.
Some claim that God has given them prophecies about calamities
that portend His judgment upon the earth and the imminent
return of Jesus. It is even
reported that the Rapture will occur on
September 23, 2015. Christians around the world are being moved
to move. Someplace, anyplace, to escape God�s wrath. What to do?
What to do? Even before John Hagee brought the message of Mark
Biltze�s four-blood-moons theory to the forefront of Christians�
consciousness, there has arisen a new fervor of expectation that
�God is about to do something!�
(542) Sunday
Morning:
�Another Gospel?� by Harry A. Ironside, 8/3/15 Note carefully: The Gospel is God�s wonderful story of His
beloved Son. It is a message of grace to be received in faith.
It is not a code of laws to be obeyed or good advice to be
followed. It is not a system of ritual observances or a call to
submit to certain ordinances. It does not set forth the claims
of any human church organization, however venerable, nor does it
exhort men to seek after experiences, however remarkable, though
a blessed experience follows its acceptance. It simply sets
forth Christ crucified and risen as the Savior of all who
believe in Him.
(543) Spiritual
Warfare:
The Foe We Prefer to Ignore by Berit Kjos - January
2010 Our two centuries of peace, freedom, and relative comfort in
America may soon come to an end. But God invites us to train our
minds with His Truth and our hearts to follow Him in the hard
times ahead. Only by trusting Him and walking by His strength
can we share in His victory. So let's pray that He will
encourage and equip us for the times ahead.
(544) The
Armor of God by Berit Kjos, 8/10/15 God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a
protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ
Himself. "Put on the armor," wrote Paul in his letter to the
Romans, "...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Romans 13:12-14) When you do, He becomes your hiding place and
your shelter in the storm -- just as He was to David. Hidden in
Him, you can count on His victory, for He not only covers you as
a shield, He also fills you with His life. "I am the vine; you
are the branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in
him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
(John 15:5)
(545) Considering
Him
Who Endured the Cross: Scriptural examples for daily living
(Hebrews 10:32-12:1-3) by Chris Lawson, 8/22/15
God Spoke and He Has a Faithful Remnant (Hebrews 10:32 - 11:29)
1. God spoke to His people through His Word. 2. The lives of the
people were changed and they were moved to action. 3. They
sought to obey God and do His will. 4. God has borne witness in
His own Word about them. Considering Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3) 1.
Looking at the example of faithful believers who have gone
before us. 2. Let us lay aside every weight and sin that is
entangling us. 3. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of
our faith.
(546) Spiritual
Warfare
and Guarding Your Soul by Chris Lawson, 9/2/15 Spiritual warfare, trials, suffering, affliction,
persecution�are we forgetting that we are in a spiritual battle?
The valiant-for-truth believer in Christ ought to never forget
that there is an unseen spiritual world that is in hostile
opposition against Jesus Christ and His Church. This study is
meant to help the believer consider the reality of the Christian
warfare and the the importance of doing the will of the Lord in
the strength that God provides. You must know: 1. Your own
weakness, and the weakness of your enemy. 2. Your own strength,
and the strength of your enemy. 3. Your victory through the
person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Scriptures: 2
Corinthians 4:16; 2 Kings 6:8-23; Ephesians 6:10-24; Romans
12:1-2
(547) The people
Perish from a lack of Knowledge of Scripture - The unity of
Spiritual zombies by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/9/15 There are those who deviate from being accurate in doctrine and
take advantage of the sheep. The distinction of those who teach
things contrary on purpose or those who teach by mistake are
known because the latter repents. Hosea 4:6 "My people are
destroyed (perish) for lack of knowledge ." Here God is
referring to what they should learn from the Scripture from the
priests and the prophets. They will be destroyed spiritually
first. Israel's lessons are ours to learn and correct if we
listen. Today, the knowledge of God in is in a closed book to
some, but it can be opened at any time and applied to change
their conditions. One needs courage to do this and if prevented,
resisted by those who oppose the them, they need to stand on the
truth.
(548) The
Reappearance of the Bethlehem star? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/9/15 The wise men were led to Jesus by a radiance in the heavens,
they were Biblical, these men teaching this canard are not. As
the end times escalates we will find spiritual paranoia present
and many will try to connect the dots making up their own
picture[s] from Scripture. This is the same reason why people
will be deceived by the signs from the antichrist and the false
prophet as they convince people of their mission. They are not
interpreting the Scripture but conforming it to what they think
it should mean.
(549) The
Mystery of iniquity by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/12/15
Great is the mystery of righteousness; (God was incarnated in
the flesh�) God was manifested in the flesh, (God appeared; was
revealed in the flesh to mankind). He who became man was made a
priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:6, Psa. 110:4),
both a king and a priest (Heb. 7:1-2). This intriguing subject
of Christ�s priesthood is fully explained in Hebrews chapters
7-9. The mystery in Christ is made known. God�s Mystery is
simple: it is belief in Christ as the God/man: that God became
man. Who came from above (heaven) to live on earth as a man
(Called the mystery of godliness 1 Tim.3:16). To those who
disbelieve, the Messiah would be a �rock of offence� and a
�stone of stumbling.� Peter explains the mystery by showing that
all depends on one�s attitude toward Christ, whether they have
faith or unbelief: �God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a
son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not
do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?� (Num.
23:19) Man lies, God always tells the truth. God�s
characteristic, attributes are infinite. We are to become like
God in his moral qualities and character but we cannot become
God as in His nature. The image of God in man is a moral image /
likeness but there is another image that is foreign that was
introduced when the first couple sinned. It came to us by God's
enemy who lied to them and continues to lie to all mankind.
There is no mystery mentioned in the Old Testament like the New
Testament has mysteries, one mystery is the Gospel (Rom.16:25),
which was concealed. There are two specific mysteries we face in
the last days, The Mystery of Iniquity and Mystery Babylon.
Babylon is where all false religion of the people began (Cain
was the first) to be dominant over the true religion that was
passed on through Noah and his family.
(550) You need to �nip
it in the bud� by Sandy Simpson, 9/18/15 I am writing this article to address a subject that I have
often observed. It is the fact that if you do not get the
leaven out of your church the leaven will become the leadership.
(551) Rejoicing
Through
It All - What The Scripture Tells Us (Booklet) by
Warren B. Smith, 9/28/15 As challenging as it may seem at times, God�s Word tells us to
rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) and evermore (1Thessalonians
5:16). The various Hebrew and Greek words for rejoicing range in
meaning from calmly happy to exceedingly glad and jumping for
joy. The Bible reminds us that God�s people should be a �happy�
people because our God is the Lord (Psalm 144:15). We know that
�though our outward man perish� yet our �inward man is renewed
day by day. Therefore, we rejoice and give thanks for the
�abundant grace� so mercifully bestowed upon us by God our
Savior.
(552) What is your
covering? by Sandy Simpson, 10/3/15 The question every human being must ask themselves is this:
�What is my covering?� Is it fig leaves or animal skins? I
state this not literally but figuratively. Are you
depending on your good works or the blood of Jesus Christ to
save you? This is the ultimate question all the way from
the Garden of Eden. It is apparent that those who are
truly saved are �in Christ� (Rom. 6:7, 8:1), washed in the Blood
(1 Cor. 6:11, Rev. 7:14), crucified and buried with Christ (Gal.
2:20, Rom. 6:4) and born again (John 3:3, 1 Pet. 1:23),
anticipating eternal life (John 17:3, Rom. 6:23). But there are
also those who rely on their works (2 Tim. 1:9). Every person
will be judged according to their works (Eph. 2:8-9, Rev.
20:12), whether they were relying on them to be saved or relying
on the work of Christ on the cross for their salvation.
Even many people who call themselves Christians will end up
trying to rely on works instead of grace.
(553) The
Devil's Algebra (Video) by Jacob Prasch, 10/5/15
What happens when someone adds to or takes away from the Word
of God?
(554) The
Unseen
Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos, 10/11/15 Satan's captivating lies have sparked wars and cruelty through
the ages. Ever since Eve chose to follow her feelings rather
than God's wise guidelines, humanity has faced assaults from
"the evil one" -- often through his human pawns. Call him Devil,
Deceiver, Satan, or serpent; it doesn't matter. It's all the
same haughty oppressor: "...that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world..." Rev. 12:9
(555) The
teaching of unclean spirits (demons) being the spirits of
pre-Adamic man: A short Lesson in demonology by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/13/15 You will not find any biblical texts that mention (fallen)
angels or demons together, because they are different titles of
the same creatures. The demons, unclean spirits (which are the
fallen angels), both seek to possess men, both war against God�s
will and ways and want to use humans in this fight.
(556) The
Five
Wonders of the Gospel: The Truth Proclaimed by Johan
Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (October 2015) John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the
Bible. This famous verse is also called �the Gospel in a
nutshell� because it is considered a summary of the foundational
New Testament doctrine of salvation: �For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.� Five core truths
in connection with our salvation are mentioned in this verse,
which are all five divine wonders. They are the wonder of divine
love, the wonder of a heavenly Savior, the wonder of faith in
God, the wonder of salvation from perdition, and the wonder of
eternal life. The Bible offers a full exposition of these
supernatural works of God, and emphasizes the fact that Jesus
Christ is the only Savior of the world and that no person can
save himself from his state of spiritual deadness and moral
depravity.
(557) Praying
Circles, Think On These Things (Volume 21, Issue 5
Sep/Oct 2015) by Gary Gilley, 10/23/15 This latest prayer fad stems from the teachings of Mark
Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in
Washington D.C., and in particular his 2011 book, The Circle
Maker. The publisher claims that Batterson is offering a new way
of praying (see advertisement on page 233 of The Circle Maker)
based on a Jewish legend of Honi the Rainmaker, also called Honi
the Circle Maker (pp. 11-13, 226). Honi, who lived a century
before the ministry of Christ, supposedly drew a circle in the
dirt, stepped into that circle and prayed for rain to end a
devastating drought. He told God that he would not leave the
circle until the Lord sent rain and, according to the myth, God
soon sent rain. It should be noted that the story of Honi is at
best a legend and most likely a myth. There is no independent or
historical evidence that anything like this event ever took
place. Even more importantly, this account is not drawn from
Scripture. Nevertheless, when Batterson discovered the story he
claimed it forever changed the way he prayed (p. 21). Now he
circles his prayers, either by stepping into a drawn circle (it
is recommended that a circle be drawn on the ground with chalk)
like Honi, or by walking around the object of his desire, as the
Jews walked around Jericho in the Old Testament.
(558) When
a
False Teacher Calls America "Israel" by The Berean
Call, 10/26/15 Jonathan Cahn, a popular Christian author, claims that his
books reveal mysteries and predict the future. He thus portrays
himself as like the Biblical prophets, including the claim of
having new revelations. The main point of his book is that
America is a second Israel and that she is being judged
according to the seven-year Sabbath law called "shemitah" that
was given to ancient Israel. This judgment manifests itself in
seven-year cycles of stock market collapses or other cataclysmic
events.
(559) Is Jesus
the Abomination that makes desolate, the covenant breaker of
Dan.9? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/29/15 A number of years ago I sat down with some preterist�s who were
convinced in their view of Daniel 9.25-27 is Jesus breaking the
covenant and becoming the abomination that makes desolation.
This view becomes one of the most distorted errors of the
Scripture I have ever encountered. Since then it has come up a
number of times and needs to be addressed.
(560) Do you
gather or scatter? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/29/15
Many use the parable of the wheat and the tares for not
judging. That we are to let the tares grow amongst the wheat
inside the church. But, this is NOT what this parable is about.
Matthew 13 is part of the mystery kingdom parables. Jesus tells
us �The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field; while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat and went his way.�
(561) The
Importance
of the Rational Mind by Ed Tarkowski, 11/5/15 When God speaks to a man in his spirit, he understands with the
mind the will of God, and can thus perform it with the full use
of his faculties and in full assurance that he is doing what God
expects of him. The occultist or spiritist must bypass the
mind by shutting down his thinking processes in order to reach a
passive state, at which point contact with a spirit is made. One
way of doing this is with a mantra; that is, repeating the same
word, word segment, or phrase over and over again. There is no
such practice found in Scripture.
(562) What
Seems
Right Might Be Wrong by Roger Oakland, 11/12/15
Every Christian wants to see the church grow. Jesus made it
clear before He ascended to the Father that His followers are to
be His witnesses. Believers are called to share the good news of
the gospel until He returns. We want to see our churches filled
to overflowing. This is right. But what happens when the
Christian church, in its zeal to reach the unconverted, begins
to embrace methods to attract the lost that are extra-biblical?
(563) �Overtake you like
a thief� by Sandy Simpson, 11/13/15 1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness,
that the day would overtake you like a thief; How serious will
it be for a person to be overtaken in �that day� like a thief
overtakes a household when he slips in and steals? Will it
just be a surprise for those who claim to be Christians who will
get a slap on the wrist by the Lord but still proceed to
heaven? Will they simply lose rewards but still gain the
ultimate reward? What is this darkness that the brethren
are not in? 1 Thessalonians 5:3-5 While they are
saying, �Peace and safety!� then destruction will come upon
them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child,
and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you
are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night
or of darkness;
(564) The
Bible
Anticipates Islam . . . Islam and the Bible by Bill
Randles, 9/20/14 Islam as a world religion didn't burst onto the world scene
until the 7th century AD. But in the 14 plus centuries since, it
has played a major role in world affairs, as a foil to the Judeo
Christian world, and a scourge on India, the Levant, Persia,
Southern Asia, much of Africa, the Caucasus, and even part of
China.
(565) Biblical
versus
Cultural Christianity (Chart) by Crossroad,
11/15/15 This chart is an attempt to answer those who judge Christians
by the atrocities committed in the name of "Christianity"
through the ages -- including our own times. Those wars,
persecutions, and cruelties had little to do with Biblical
Christianity. They had everything to do with man's greedy,
power-hungry human nature which seeks its own ways rather than
God's. The ungodly expressions of our human nature may change
from culture to culture, but the result is usually the same: the
people imagine a god that fits their new cultural wants and
values, and they learn to see this distortion of Christianity as
the true church. Biblical Christianity means being joined to
Jesus Christ through faith in what He did for us at the cross,
then allowing Him to live His life through us, so that others
might know Him and see His love. (That love may include sharing
His warnings as well as His promises with those in need.) The
established Church, like Old Testament Israel, has always tended
to drift away from its devotion to God and become just other
institutions, subject to the same human impulses and painful
consequences as the rest of the world. Please don�t blame human
evils on a "straw-man" or a convenient cultural distortion of
Christianity. Consider some of the differences between Biblical
faith and today's cultural deviations.
(566) Famine
in
the Land Yet God Remains Faithful by Chris Lawson,
11/18/15 Psalm 89 - A psalm (Maskil) of Ethan the Ezrahite. Author:
Ethan (or one of his descendants) is the author of this Psalm.
Ethan is possibly the Levitical leader and one of the head
musicians/singers in the Temple (1 Chronicles 6:42; 15:17-19).
Historical context: God had promised to make David the mightiest
King on earth (2 Sam. 7; 1 Kin. 8:23; 1 Chr. 17; 2
Chr. 21:7; Ps. 110). In doing so, God would protect David and
David�s descendants (2 Sam. 7:13; 16, 18), and ultimately
Messiah Jesus would reign from David�s throne - forever
(Luke 1:31-33). Even though Jerusalem was destroyed and no kings
were reigning in Jerusalem at this time, God remained faithful
and He continues to carry out His promises. God�s promises are -
and forever will be - fulfilled through our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, the Messianic descendant of David (Matt. 1:1; Luke
3:23-28) and the Eternal Prophet, Priest and King of Israel
(Heb. 1:1-10:18). Looking beyond the pale of the author�s
personal national dilemma - the apparent total ruin of the
Davidic monarchy - the author chooses to focus on the LORD and
His greatness, regardless of his own personal circumstances and
future. As always, man is humbled, and God is glorified. In one
word, with restored confidence in God and His Word, the author
closes with, �Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.�
(Psalm 89:52) The Lord�s Covenant with David and Israel�s
Afflictions (89:1-37) Praise and remembrance of God�s love and
faithfulness (89:1-4). God�s worthiness to be praise and adored
(89:5-14). God�s covenant blessing and protection upon David
(89:15-37). God�s Seeming Neglect of the Davidic Covenant
(89:38-52) The Psalmists heartfelt cry (89:46-51). The Psalmists
heartfelt distress (89:46-51). The Doxology - �Blessed be the
LORD forever!� (89:52) Scriptures: Psalm 89; Luke 1:30; Exodus
19:5; Deuteronomy 26:16; Psalm 135: 1-4; Deuteronomy 14:2; Titus
2:11-15; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 89:52.
(567) The
Fall of Satan resulted in the fall of many by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/21/15 A Spiritual war wages all around us, and Satan is a master
planner, he constantly feeds the world false information about
himself and of Christ, their only means of escape. Many people
dismiss his existence. Some see Satan as a mythical invention
and stay completely unaware of his plans. The Bah�'� 's do
not believe Satan exists, the devil is a metaphor for man�s base
nature. Charles Fillmore of Unity church said the Devil is a
state of consciousness adverse to the divine good. The Devil is
overcome by denying his existence. Mason's see Lucifer got a bad
rap and that he is good and that they need to learn to use his
energy. So they do not see the need to resist him not consider
his deceptions in their lives. They have no clue what is coming
to this world.
(568) Should
Christians
Expose Error? by H.A. Ironside, 11/22/15 Objection is often raised�even by some sound in the
faith�regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative
and of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been
against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who
assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New
Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and
the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character
of ministry�namely, showing the Satanic origin and, therefore,
the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems
which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as
�damnable heresies.�
(569) Making
God�s
People Trust in a Lie� by Bill Randles, 11/29/15
It is happening all over again. In the church, as in the last
days of Judah, immediately preceding the devastation of the
Babylonian captivity and the destruction of the temple,
Christians are being inoculated to conviction
and preparedness by the soothing Words of false prophets like
Hananiah.
(570) The
Bible's Amazingly Accurate Account of the Flood by
Creation Moments, 11/30/15 Genesis 8:7 "And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and
fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth." On May
18, 1980, Mount St. Helens exploded, devastating over 200 square
miles in Southwestern Washington State. The heat spewing from
the volcano melted the snow that covered its heights, creating
mud flows that covered the surrounding area. The grim prediction
was that forests and wildlife would never be found on or near
the mountain within our lifetimes. Mount St. Helens' recovery
from the devastation provides us with a comparatively
small-scale model of the recovery from the great Flood at the
time of Noah. Only ten years after the eruption, much of the
plant and animal life in the devastated area had returned.
Today, evergreens stand taller than a man, fish swim in the
lakes and rivers, and frogs are in the ponds. Even larger
animals like elk can be found in the once-desolate area. This
suggests that it would not have taken generations for the
foliage that God preserved in the Flood waters to re-grow
forests and jungles, providing homes for the growing, migrating
population from the Ark. Before that could happen, Noah had to
know that there was somewhere for the animals to go. So he first
sent out a raven. Mount St. Helens illustrates why Noah decided
to send a raven first. Among the first new colonizers at Mount
St. Helens was the raven. They are part of God's army of
scavengers to remove the dead and can live in a wide variety of
conditions. Here again we see that even the small details
recorded in the Bible are true to real life.
(571) The
Gospel
in the Last Days by Jacob Prasch, 12/7/15 We�re looking, of course at �The Gospel in the Last Days�. In a
sense what we�re doing now is a sequel � a part two � to
something we did a number of years ago. You may remember a
number of years ago people were talking about �prepare for
blessing�, and �revival�s coming�, and �prepare for the victory�
and all this kind of stuff, and of course it didn�t happen. And
we had a conference at that time telling people to prepare for
persecution and we�ll have to see which has happened: Has
persecution come or has revival arrived? Well, revival has
certainly not arrived, but as we�ll look at in a minute,
persecution has. We�re preparing for persecution. And at that
time we pointed out to people the same kinds of challenges that
were faced by the Early Church will be faced by the church in
the Last Days. The same things happen. I�m not going to go into
it in any depth, just very briefly review. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4, Part
5, Part
6, Part
7, Part
8, Part
9, Part
10 & Part
11.
(572) Is
Jesus the Abomination that makes desolate, the covenant
breaker of Dan.9? by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/20/15
A number of years ago I sat down with some preterist�s who were
convinced in their view of Daniel 9.25-27 is Jesus breaking the
covenant and becoming the abomination that makes desolation.
This view becomes one of the most distorted errors of the
Scripture I have ever encountered. Since then it has come up a
number of times and needs to be addressed.
(573) Paul�s
Conduct
in Ministry and Appeal for Scriptural Separation by
Chris Lawson, 12/23/15 Do they see beyond our words? A practical look at being set
apart for the Lord and living for Him so that the Gospel may not
be maligned, blasphemed and hindered. Various topics covered in
this message include Paul's sufferings, his personal vindication
of his ministry, God's appeal to His church - through Paul - to
"be ye separate" from the world, and what true repentance looks
like and does. 2 Corinthians 6:1-4 � �We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the
grace of God in vain.(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:
behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be
not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses�� Scripture: 2 Corinthians
6:1-7:12.
(574) The
Priority
of Not Neglecting Jesus Our First Love by Chris
Lawson, 12/31/15 Jesus Rebukes the Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)
Christian ministry and service should never replace our personal
love and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. This message is a
reminder for each of us to personally consider what priority we
individually place on our personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, our obedience to His Word, and whether or not we are
neglecting Jesus as our �first love� (Rev. 2:4). This sermon is
not intended to needlessly offend Christians, nor is it an
attempt to drive people into more �service� for the Lord.
Rather, it is a compelling message intended to encourage
believers to remember the goodness of the Lord, to repent from
spiritual apathy, and to love Jesus and adore Him, thereby
returning to Him as one�s first love - in sincerity and in
truth. Scriptures: Revelation 1:1-2:7; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15;
Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:9; 1 John 5:4-5. Revelation 2:1-7 (KJV) -
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things
saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who
walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know
thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst
not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 and
hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name�s sake hast
laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat
against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in
the midst of the paradise of God.
(577) Setting
Aside
the Power of the Gospel for a Powerless Substitute by
David Dombrowski, 2/13/16 We are living in a time of mass deception and delusion. If you
were to fall off a cliff and only had a rope to hold you, would
you not hold onto that rope more tightly? That is what we must
do with the Gospel. Jesus� death on the Cross purchased our
salvation; we have also been bought by His blood, sealed in a
new covenant, and His indwelling presence empowers us to live
the Christian life. There is no other power to save!
(578) Bright
Hope
in Dark Days by Charles H. Spurgeon, 2/15/16 The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine.
He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written
in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her
paths are peace," and it is a great truth, that religion [i.e.
Biblical Christianity] is calculated to give a man happiness
below as well as bliss above. But experience tells us that if
the course of the just be "As the shining light that shineth
more and more unto the perfect day," sometimes that light is
eclipsed. At certain periods, clouds cover the believer's sun,
and he walks in darkness and sees no light.
(479) Mythicism
by Robert Stewart, Ph.D. & Marilyn Stewart, M.Div., Watchman
Fellowship, Inc., 3/17/16 The claim that Jesus never existed is virtually unknown prior
to the 18th century. Up to that time even Christianity�s
fiercest detractors did not deny that Jesus was a historical
person. Most New Testament scholars have viewed the arguments
behind this claim as too weak to merit a response or to merit
anything more than a reference in a footnote. The radical
English Deist Lord Bolingbroke in the late 18th century is known
to have promoted this idea, followed by French Enlightenment
thinkers Constantin-Francois Volney and Charles Francois Dupuis
who argued that Christianity borrowed from ancient Persian and
Babylonian myths.
(480) Scoffers
Will
Come by Roger Oakland, 3/18/16 Bible prophecy is being fulfilled as I write this commentary.
While many professing Christians ignore the connection between
current events and portions of the Bible that were written
thousands of years ago, my advice is that it would be wise for
these scoffers to wake-up.
(481) What to do
when Biblical counsel is not received? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/20/16 The bottom line, if you have a pastor who lacks or refuses to
exercise discernment and integrity, this is dangerous to the
sheep they are entrusted to protect. The church is their
spiritual family. Read Part
1 - What to do when Biblical counsel is not received? and Part 2 - Who's in
charge of your church? Do you have a pastor or a politician?
(482) Elektos by Jacob Prasch,
4/5/16 So often it is the extremists that divide the body of Christ
and cause unnecessary problems, it really is. You�ve got
people who are ultra-Pentecostal or extreme Charismatics who
confuse spirituality with mysticism, who confuse basic emotion
with the leading of the Holy Spirit; emotional impulse.
Their doctrinal theology is so often a false theology based on
experience, not based on the Word of God and we know the
Charismatic movement, having been around since the late 1960�s,
has never brought any revival. There was a revival among
the hippies but the Charismatic renewal has not renewed these
denominations. These denominations are far worse off now
than they were a generation ago; they are ordaining homosexuals,
lesbians, and everything else. The Methodists, the
Reformed churches, the Presbyterians, pick any church you want
that had the Charismatic renewal and you would be hard pressed
to find one of them that has been renewed or restored to
biblical foundation. Now this is in no way a denial of the
authenticity of Holy Spirit baptism or a properly understood
manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit practiced
scripturally. It is just to say, as we pointed out many
times, too much, in fact probably the majority of what we see
today, in terms of Charismatic phenomena, is not genuine
charismata but the term Chuck Smith once coined,
�charismania.� The theological term for charismania, the
actual term, again if you don�t know, is neo-Montanism.
The kind of disorder and chaos you saw at Corinth resurfaced in
the early Church with people called the Montanists and this kind
of thing has happened at other times.
(483) Can
Bad
Hermeneutics Lead to Heresy? with Rob Congdon (Part
1), 4/16/16 Hermeneutics is one of these words we don't speak about every
day in our life, but actually we experience it. Every time you
read a book or read a newspaper, you apply a system of
hermeneutics. It�s a method to interpret what you�re reading.
You expect certain rules, whether you realize it or not, to be
applied to that. So, hermeneutics is really, as we use it, a
method of biblical interpretation � a system, if you will.
(484) Almost
Saved
... But Entirely Lost! by Dr. C. L. Cagan,
4/23/16 You can�t be changed from a little devil to a real Christian by
simply coming to church. You can�t have a conversion by learning
things. Your heart is wrong. You are wrong inside. Your heart is
�desperately wicked� (Jeremiah 17:9). You cannot change yourself
from a goat to a sheep, from a little devil to a real Christian.
�With men it is impossible� (Mark 10:27). And with you it is
impossible. You need God�s grace! You need a miracle of
conversion from God. You are almost saved, but entirely lost.
Without a miracle from God, you will always be entirely lost �
lost in this life and lost forever in the next world.
(485) A time to
weep Eccl. 3:4 by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/8/16 Israel, the Jewish people and nation has become the dividing
line for the church in the last days. There are more that reject
God keeping His covenant with them than those who believe God
will never forsake Israel because of his covenant. Called by
many names, known as replacement theology, this predominant
false teaching today is infecting many in various ways.
(486) Slackerly
Sloths by Herescope, 5/12/16 The opposite of the biblical diligence is the idea of
sloth. The sloth mammal was aptly named because its habits
so matched the biblical description!
(487) The Key to being able to teach
both Predestination and Free Will by Sandy Simpson,
5/14/16 When I was in college one of the favorite all night jam
sessions was the Predestination vs. Free Will debate. We
would stay up all night and never resolve the problem.
Though I was a Christian I was somewhat immature at the time and
had not learned the principle of not imposing manmade constructs
on the Scriptures (eisegesis) but rather letting the Bible
interpret itself (exegesis) since it consists of the Word of God
as breathed by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) through the
prophets, Apostles and of course, the Word incarnate, Jesus
Christ. There is a famous saying that states: "A text, out
of context, in isolation from co-text is always a
pre-text." It certainly was a �pretext� for our lengthy
useless arguments on this subject.
(488) Discernment
Detractors:
Calling Good Evil by Warren B. Smith, 7/14/15 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward
in heaven:��Matthew 5:11-12
(489) Biblical
Texts
Older Than Estimated at The Berean Call, 6/13/16
Studying ancient handwriting reveals biblical texts are older
than estimated. By using handwriting analysis technology,
Israeli scholars from a number of fields have concluded that
certain ancient biblical texts are older than originally
thought.
(490) Spiritual
Warfare:
The Unseen Foe Behind Rising Evil by Berit Kjos,
6/14/16 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron�� 1 Timothy
4:1-2 We don�t hear much about spiritual warfare these days.
Most churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the evil
he inspires. God�s warnings about fellowship with the world�s
alluring thrills doesn�t fit the contemporary image of Jesus as
a tolerant, easy-going friend.
(419) The
Message
�bible� butchers Psalm 1:1 by My Word Like Fire,
6/15/16 Eugene Peterson�s horrendous translation (?) of Psalm 1:1
compared to the genuine thing.
(420) Christians who
�turn away� by Sandy Simpson, 6/22/16 Jeremiah 3:10-11 And yet for all this her treacherous sister
Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but
feignedly, saith the LORD. And the LORD said unto me, �The
backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous
Judah.� (KJV) Israel had turned away from the Lord and had gone
after the gods of Canaan, namely Baal and Asherah. Because
Israel had prostituted herself with false gods in worshipping
the polytheistic gods that started at Babel, God had declared He
was divorcing Israel and would send them into exile until they
again returned to the true God. But Judah prided itself in doing
what God had commended as they had Jerusalem and the
Temple. They disdained Israel for setting up altars to
Baal and Asherah poles on high hills. Yet God was not
fooled by Judah�s pretence. In the KJV it says they were
not worshipping God with their whole heart but
�feignedly�.
(421) God�s
Word:
The Only Protection against the Winds of Theology at
The Berean Call, 6/29/16 Jaw and hands clenched, knuckles white, I fought the sporadic
gusts of wind that threatened to wrest the wheel from my
control. With each renewed gale the Explorer threatened to skate
off the corridor of ice that now constituted I-29. Every quarter
mile�or less�we saw yet another car, truck, or semi that had
careened into one of the ditches on either side of the
interstate. Others were pulled off, idling on the shoulder. I
continued on, determined to reach home after a long winter
weekend in Minnesota. Despite the relative chill of the
vehicle�s cabin, I felt a thin sheen of sweat on my brow as I
glanced over at my wife who was similarly on edge and frequently
checking on our frightened children in the back seat. One false
move and we would join the other travelers, waiting out the
blizzard in a ditch. Perhaps you have had a similar driving
experience, perhaps not; but if you are a fellow traveler
through the life after Adventism, then you�ve almost certainly
had a parallel journey. In Adventism you have �the Truth� on
nearly every topic imaginable, and you have the assurance of
being in God�s true remnant church. Things aren�t nearly that
simple after Adventism, though. In fact, there�s a good chance
that you, like me, have spent some time lurching back and forth
between one ditch or another. When I first came out of
Adventism, I found myself flirting with some of the more fringe
elements at the edges of the charismatic movement. Over-steering
back from the brink of that ditch, I went in the opposite
direction and drove straight down into a liberalized version of
the seeker-sensitive movement. I spun my tires in that ditch for
quite a while before God pulled me and my family out and got us
back on the road of our spiritual journey. So how did God get us
back on track and where He wanted us? The answer is through a
focus on the Word. Early in my journey, God had introduced me to
the line-by-line exegetical teaching of a pastor named Bryan
Clark�.I continued to listen to Bryan�s sermons online while
attending church elsewhere. Hearing the Bible taught like that
was the equivalent of refocusing on the road and allowing the
ditches to fade into peripheral vision. At the risk of pushing
the analogy too far, the Bible paints the solid white lines at
the edge of the highway. It tells us what is in bounds, what is
out of bounds, and where the ditches are. It also highlights the
center line, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which keeps us focused
on moving forward in the right direction. Having these guides,
we can let off the gas, relax our grasp, and enjoy the ride,
secure in the knowledge that God is in control. I see so many
former Adventists who, like me, seem to go from one questionable
belief system to another, tossed about by the winds of theology.
There is really only one remedy: getting deeply immersed in the
Word while being plugged into a healthy, well-balanced community
of believers. We need the Word and, as we recover from
Adventism, we need the guidance the Holy Spirit provides through
the church so that we can see and understand the Word in the way
He intended. I eventually found that Word-centered community in
my home church, and I pray that you will too. It�s time to start
living the life after!
(422) What
is
the Gospel? (Excerpt from An Urgent Call to a Serious
Faith by Dave Hunt), 7/1/16 What is the gospel that saves�and from what does it save us? In
order to answer that question, we must go back to the Garden of
Eden. It was there, in the most perfect environment that God�s
heart of love and His creative power could provide, that man�s
rebellion against his Creator had its awful beginning. Eden is
not mythology but history, as human experience, selfish
ambition, and false religions continue to demonstrate to the
present day. Surrounded by beauty, satisfied by abundance, and
enjoying the fellowship of their Infinite Friend, our first
parents, nevertheless, fell to the seductive lies of Satan. �Ye
shall be as gods� was his deceitful promise�and to realize that
delusion has been man�s passion ever since. False religions,
such as Hinduism and Mormonism, are based upon this lie. Though
not deceived himself (1 Timothy:2:14And Adam was not deceived,
but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.), Adam,
in loyalty to Eve, joined in his wife�s disobedience and ate of
the forbidden fruit. Thus, �by [this] one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned� (Romans:5:12 Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:).
(423) The lack
of expository preaching and consequences of sin by
Mike Oppenheimer, 7/4/16 Many stand behind the pulpit who should not be there. So many
teach extra-biblical nonsense, stories that are not the focus of
the Bible, or their experiences. Either they were not called, or
if they were called to ministry they did not allow the time for
training and education and have found themselves neglecting the
call.
(424) Do you
gather or scatter? by Mike Oppenheimer, 7/8/16 Many use the parable of the wheat and the tares for not
judging. That we are to let the tares grow amongst the wheat
inside the church. But, this is NOT what this parable is about.
Matthew 13 is part of the mystery kingdom parables. Jesus tells
us �The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field; while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat and went his way.� Jesus explains, Matt 13:27-30 "So
the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you
not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
"He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to
him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' "But he
said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot
the wheat with them. 'Let both grow together until the harvest,
and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First
gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them,
but gather the wheat into my barn."' The theme in this parable
is the field, which is the world, not the Church (the church is
in the world). Paul explicitly tells us to purge out leaven from
the Church, remove what is false and wicked. The field, which is
the world has both believers and unbelievers in it, this
separation is done by Christ. And we find only the wheat will go
into the Millennium (Messianic Kingdom).
(425) The
Nature
and Tactics of Satan by Crossroad, 7/14/16 "...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John
5:19 "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness..." 2 Cor.11:14-15
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,
whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone
out into the world...." 1 John 4:1
(427) Does
Doctrine
Matter Anymore? (Video) by Gary Gilley, 8/6/16 A recent front page article featured in our local (Springfield,
Illinois) newspaper was entitled �Mega-Growth.� The article
described the phenomenal numerical increase of three of the
largest churches in our area. What is it about these churches
that have sparked their growth? Why are people flocking to these
churches rather than to others? In response one of the pastors
said, �Understanding budgets and balance sheets is as important
as understanding church doctrine.� Another pastor said, �Church
members are more interested in relational issues than doctrine.
People care less about questions pertaining to what a church
doctrine is and more about the question, �Does this church care
for me?��[i] We should not minimize the importance of fiscal
responsibility, organizational needs and loving community, but
not too many years ago Christians sought out churches that
reflected what they believed the Bible taught. No longer. As is
evident by what these pastors said, the average Christian today
simply does not care much about theology; they are seeking a
community that cares for them, or a particular style of music,
or an intimate experience, or a service project they can plug
into, or any number of things. For the most part they are not
choosing to become a member of a church on the basis of what it
teaches. To be sure, certain managerial and practical elements
are important to the operation of a local church. And the church
should be a community, even a family, composed of those who love
one another in such a way that the world stands up and notices
(see John 13:35). But this almost-wholesale dismissal of
doctrine as unnecessary baggage has been uncommon throughout
church history. Watch Part
1
- Does Doctrine Matter Anymore? and Part
2
- Does Doctrine Matter Anymore - To Pastors?
The first author to identify himself as "Pre
Wrath" was CS Lovett in his book "The Latest Word on the Last
Days" (1980). It was probably Lovett who actually invented the
term 'Pre Wrath'. His view of Pre Wrath combined the Post
Tribulational views of Dr. Samuel Tregallis with a Pre Wrath
position because he placed the wrath of God only at the very
closing phase of the final 7 years preceded by the rapture.
(429) Do
Gentiles become Jews when they believe? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/1/16 As a believer
(Gentile) you become part of the body of Christ, not Israel.
You are a spiritual Gentile, not a Jew. Israel is a
nation consisting of Jews, Hebrews are an ethnicity who are
from the linage of Abraham Isaac and JACOB (the twelve
tribes). A Gentile (both believer and non believer) is from
Abraham not Isaac and Jacob. Being Abraham�s seed does not
make one Jewish. This is where people have been taught wrong.
It's Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (from whom came the 12 tribes)
otherwise the Arabs are Jewish too. selah
(432) The
Father's
House and the Way There by H.A. Ironside, 9/5/16
Oh, don�t talk about many ways. There is only one�Jesus is the only
way. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved, but the name of Jesus. Have you come to Him? Are
you trusting Him? If you are, you are on the way to the Father�s
house, and now you can wait with equally glad expectation for the
hour of His return, for He said, �If I go, I will come again, and
receive you unto Myself.� When will He come? We can�t tell that, but
we are waiting for Him day by day.
(433) Jesus and
the gospel - A Bible exposition on what the gospel is and how
to use it effectively by Mike Oppenheimer,
9/12/16 If one says Jesus did not rise physically from the dead but
came back in a spiritual body, this is a denial of a core
teaching that is related to the gospel of salvation - the
resurrection. It changes the 3rd point of the gospel.
1. He (Jesus) died for our SINS. 2. He was buried (proving He
actually died), 3. He rose again, resurrected. Taking up the
same body He was born and lived in, and still exists in today
(in a glorified state). It is this gospel Paul said He delivered
to them in. The Gospel concerns God�s only Son and His work on
the cross (the crucifixion) on our behalf to forgive our sin. If
its focus is on something else, no matter how sacred or from the
Bible, then it is not the gospel of Christ.
(434) Casting
Our
Cares on God by Maria Kneas, 9/19/16 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7) The parable of the sower
in Scripture reveals a condition (the third kind of soil) that
can be especially problematic for the Christian who is trying to
serve the Lord and be fruitful for the Kingdom�namely that of
seed sown among thorns (weeds) that would choke out one�s
effectiveness. In explaining this part of the parable, Jesus
said: And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as
hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering
in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19,
emphasis added)
(436) Are
we in Acts 29? by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/12/16
The church is built upon the "foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"
(Ephesians 2:20). While it continues to grow upon this
foundation to compare our time period to the early gospel
history among those who were alive with Jesus is a mistake and
can lead to many errors. While we can draw from it and see
modern application in the persecution of Christians and the
gospel continuing we must keep this written record inspired of
the Holy Spirit as a unique time in the the history of the
Church. We are not all apostles that can duplicate or do even
greater miracles than Jesus, they didn't.
(437) Sins
of
the Fathers, Nepotism, and Apostasy in the Church by
Roger Oakland, 10/21/16 There is an obvious pattern observed from a brief study of
genealogies found in the Old Testament. When a father follows
God and leads the people, overseeing in the right direction,
there is absolutely no guarantee this virtue will carry over to
the next generation. In other words, the saying �he is a chip
off the old block� is not always the pattern we find when it
comes to biblical history.
(438) Can
water wash away sins, forgive sins? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/25/16 If baptism saves, that would be the first thing we would have
to do, not believe, but do. We would be told to believe in our
baptism, then Jesus could not be the savior but our act of
immersion would be saving us.
(439) The
Sabbath is not in the New Covenant by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/3/16 You do not get grace or peace through the law, but by only
through the Father and Jesus Christ, through the NEW COVENANT.
Those who insist on requiring the Sabbath in the new covenant as
it was for Israel (only) in the Old Covenant, show their bad
bible interpretation skills. They have not been taught the new
covenant of grace accurately; some not at all. Some think
the Old Testament laws have been synthesized to the new
covenant, some even think they as Gentiles become Jews. Where
did the apostles teach the Sabbath was mandatory as it was in
the Old Testament? They cannot point to one Scripture after the
new covenant is ratified that requires the Church to keep the
Sabbath as Israel kept the Sabbath under the Old Covenant. It
was personal choice.
(440) On
Those who claim to have trips to Heaven by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/6/16 On the authority of the Word I can say when you hear someone�s
personal heavenly experience; remember the bible. Those who
claim they are making visits to heaven are not telling the
truth, but have departed from it (1 Cor. 4:6).
(441) What of
those who claim they died (NDE) and went to heaven and
returned by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/20/16 John, who was the last living apostle was allowed to write his
vision as he relayed the future for all the believers to read
throughout the centuries. He gave to us the revelation of Jesus
Christ which brought the Bible to its conclusion, closing the
canon on what God would reveal to man of the future. There are
no others that went to heaven (no young children, no adults).
From these two apostles we have all the insight we need to have
faith of what is waiting for us as pilgrim believers on earth.
There is no one else’s word we can trust on this except
God’s.
(442) The
truth versus THE Lie - When the truth becomes a lie and the
lie becomes the truth by Mike Oppenheimer,
12/6/16 True believers are to not only to know the truth, but should be
able to tell the difference of a lie from the truth. The
indwelling Spirit of God is called the Spirit of truth
(Jn.14:17; 15:26; 16:13.) He gives them discernment to cut away
the chaff from the wheat. The same ways that are used in
advertising are being used to lay the groundwork for this Lie
that will unite the world to accept the fake Messiah. The
biggest lie from self - help and human potential, new age and
heretical teachers is that when you find yourself you find God.
Or that you are God, or a god, as it is being taught from the
false teachers inside the church. There is only one true God.
The only way one can stretch this to be acceptable is to tell
everyone we are all part of Him, he is us, thus we are all god!
(443) What
happened to you after YOU received the gospel? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/17/16 Life is filled with changes, accepting Jesus as ones Lord,
savior is the greatest change, for it changes everything. So
many things took place in our life after we accepted the gospel
as the truth. First our eternal destination, direction changed,
we are now promised heaven at death whereas before we did not
have this hope. Our present relationship with the world changed
because we have God personally working in our lives. We have
God's Holy Spirit residing in us guiding us. We are now
spiritually, not carnally minded as we read the Bible and allow
it to inform us and conform us to Christ. Christ’s nature is
deposited in every believer to transform us. As we live by His
word we spiritually grow. The Holy Spirit reveals the nature of
God, transforming His children to be like the Son by this new
nature residing in us. Too many struggle with surrender. Many do
not want to give up their control, even if they made tremendous
mistakes, bad decisions in life. The want to stay in charge, so
it becomes a matter of trust. But there is no one you can trust
better than the Lord. No longer do you depend on yourself to
find the answers, God has given them to you. The gospel does not
just have you believe in Jesus, it changes your life into
service for Him. Your affections for the world changed, before
you were attracted to it and had no power to resist it, now you
struggle against them are repelled by sin. Now you have a power
inside you that you did not before, to resist and overcome. You
have come under new ownership. Jesus is no only your Lord, your
savior but he is now your master. You are bond servant.
(444) Filling Up the
Sufferings of Christ — Colossians 1:24-26 (Video) by
Bob DeWaay, 12/18/16 This difficult passage has often been misused by those who
claim that the “merits of Christ�? can be added to. We explain
and defend the eschatological view that Christian suffering is
necessary and eventually reaches the limit that God has set for
it. What is lacking that is being filled up are sufferings that
will ultimately reach that limit and God will avenge His
righteous ones. God reveals His truth to those who are like
infants and not wise in their own estimation. We must
contemplate the claims of the gospel and respond with faith and
obedience.
(445) He is
Wonderful by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/19/16 Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is
given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His
name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 700 years prior, in Isa 9:6
where the son is promised to be given, born as a man there are a
number of descriptions of our Lord, one of them is wonderful. It
is what begins of the many names the Son is to be
called.Wonderful means Indescribable beyond comprehension to
fully grasp. He is the perfect one that is beyond description.We
find this name wonderful applied to God in the Old Testament.
(446) Babylon is
Fallen - Revelation 18 (Video) by Bill Randles,
12/4/16 Rev. 18:2 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “‘Fallen! Fallen is
Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a
haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a
haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
(448) Why
I
expose error and warn believers by Andy Neckar,
Christian News & Views, 1/3/17 I am grieved for those who cannot understand my concerns and my
warnings. I am not "attacking" the ministers who are obviously
in error. I have nothing against them personally. I praise the
Lord for every good thing in them and for every soul saved under
their ministries. But souls saved are "in spite of ", not
"because of " many of their messages. God’s Word will not return
to Him void. (Isaiah 55:11) I cannot and will not ignore the
things they are doing "publicly" which I believe will eventually
destroy thousands of sound churches and which will break down
Godly walls between truth and error.
(450) Does
Doctrine
Matter Anymore – To Pastors? by Gary Gilley, Think on
these things, (Volume 22, Issue 4, July/August 2016) All pastors do not have the same giftedness or interests.
Some are excellent shepherds and love direct involvement with
people. Others could spend all of their time behind closed
doors in intense study, or in pursuit of any number of advanced
degrees (I had a professor at Moody Bible Institute who had
master’s degrees in a number of totally unrelated areas,
including engineering, just because he loved to study anything.
But he lacked people skills that would have enabled him to be a
pastor). A good pastor should have a shepherd’s heart but also a
student’s mind. Pastors need to take seriously Paul’s admonition
to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as
a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling
the word of truth�? (2 Tim 2:15). Still, not every pastor
will envision himself as a theologian, although all must be
pursuing expertize in both the understanding and the
communication of the Scriptures. Many, who lack the skills or
interest to move beyond basic theological understanding,
nevertheless are often fine pastors who feed and protect the
flock with which the Lord has entrusted to them. My hope,
however, is that more pastors will take seriously the need to be
pastor-theologians so that God’s people will be spared, as much
as possible, the many deceptions that are everywhere, and that
they are aided in walking in the light of God’s truth.
After all, with the apostle John, we “have no greater joy than
this, to hear of [our] children walking in the truth�? (2 John
4).
(451) Certain
Men
Crept In by Roger Oakland, 1/19/17 Paul saw Satan’s plan clearly and warned what was coming. Jude
saw it happening in his day. Further, these warnings which are
included in the inspired Word of God are timeless and are for
the church right now. What would Paul and Jude write to the
church if they were here today? Would their message have changed
in any way? Based on current trends that dilute the Gospel of
Jesus and make it into a
social-humanistic-psychological-what’s-in-it-for-me gospel,
definitely not! Let these same warnings be a wake-up call for us
today!
(452) Psalm
22 - The Tola Worm by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/20/17
Psalm 22 is known as the Psalm of the crucifixion, written
nearly 1,000 years before Jesus cries my god my God why have you
forsaken me, David prophesies of the crucified one’s words that
says in v.6 “I am but a worm and not a man; a reproach of men,
and despised of the people." The word worm is not just
describing any worm. Here it is tola, an insect that they
crushed to get the die color of red/scarlet and used to color
the robes of royalty.
(453) How
to
win the battle by Jacob Prasch, 1/23/17 Whenever you see a superhuman villain in the Bible, somebody
distinct from other people who is a nefarious creature, and you
see a combination of three sixes in association with him, we’re
looking at a type of the Antichrist. Let’s again look at the
dimensions of Goliath’s armor. Height was six cubits – one span,
then the weight was five. Then of course, we get down to the
weaver’s beam, the size of the spear, which it’s weight was six
hundred. So you put it together, obviously you have six-six-six.
There’s three sixes. Whenever you see a play on numbers adding
up to three sixes where it’s multiples of eighteen in
association with a nefarious creature, we’re looking at someone
who typifies Antichrist in some way. And not infrequently when
you find someone who typifies Antichrist you’ll find someone
going before him. Here it’s the armor bearer. Of course the
false prophet goes before the beast. There are many, many clues
about the Antichrist and what he will be like and what he will
do throughout Scripture, but we should always be looking for the
number of the beast. Among other things you're looking for
somebody who's not just a villain but a villain of superhuman
quality because he’s trying to counterfeit Christ – a
superhuman.
(454) Biblical
Illiteracy:
Its Tragedy and Remedy by Gary Gilley, 1/28/17 Both statistical research and anecdotal observation come to the
same conclusion – America, a nation once steeped in Scripture if
not always living in obedience to God, has joined the ranks of
the biblically illiterate from around the globe.
Theologians and sociologists both speak of our “post-Christian�?
culture, while to some extent is still being fueled by the
capital of Christianity, which is now all but coasting on empty.
Albert Mohler, in a short article entitled “The Scandal of
Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem,�? quotes pollsters George
Gallup and Jim Castelli as saying, “Americans revere the
Bible—but, by and large, they don’t read it. And because
they don’t read it, they have become a nation of biblical
illiterates.�?[1] As a result Mohler documents that fewer than
half of all adults can name the four Gospels, identify more than
3 disciples or name even five of the Ten Commandments.
Eighty two percent of Americans believe that “God helps those
who help themselves�? is in the Bible. More comical are
the studies that reveal 12 percent of adults believe Joan of Arc
was Noah’s wife, a considerable number think Billy Graham
preached the Sermon on the Mount, and 50% of graduating
high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and
wife. From a survey not referenced by Mohler it was discovered
that some believe that the epistles are the wives of the
apostles. These findings and stories drawn from secular
society should not surprise us too much – after all, biblical
instruction is seldom found today in our schools, media, clubs
or any place else apart from the church. But sadly the
church is catching up to society.
(455) The
Calling
of the Church by Harry Ironside, 1/30/17 Now we are sitting “in�? Christ, not “with.�? “With�? Christ
will be our happy portion by and by when Christ comes and takes
us home, that in the ages to come He may show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus. Show means that He might exhibit. The church, then,
called out of sin and darkness, redeemed to God with the
precious Blood of Christ, and linked to the Head with the
Spirit, will be one with Christ throughout all the ages to come,
and so whatever experiences our Lord may be called upon to go
through we shall go through with Him. We shall reign with Him
and be with Him when He is all and in all. Our portion will be
with Him through all eternity. Let us, therefore, walk worthy of
the calling wherewith we are called.
(457) The
Job
Description of a Good Shepherd by Roger Oakland,
2/19/17 Both the Old and New Testaments consist of numerous references
that provide the guidelines required for a leader to be
classified as a good shepherd. It makes sense that we would look
to the Scriptures for guidance because the Bible is the inspired
Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) and should be our ultimate
authority when it comes to discussing this topic.
(458) Yeast
and
the Kingdom (Video) by James Jacob Prasch,
2/24/17 Moriel TV is active in the area of discernment withstanding the
popular apostasy in the contemporary church that The Word of God
warns would precede the return of Jesus. We remain firmly
aligned to the conviction that contemporary events in The Middle
East , Europe, and in the church make the present time in
history different from other eras when people thought it was the
last days. We affirm the belief that Jesus is coming again and
prophecy of His return is radically being fulfilled
increasingly.
(459) Bradford
Pear Christianity by Sandy Simpson, 2/28/17 I was driving along and noticing that spring has sprung here in
North Carolina. One of the first trees to bloom is the
Bradford Pear. I began to notice how that tree has
proliferated almost everywhere and then my wife looked up the
information on this tree on the web. As she began to read
the facts about this tree and its proliferation I began to see
an allegorical parallel to what is going on in much of
Christendom. But before I get into what the Bradford Pear
can show us about the churches, I need to present the facts
about the tree.
(460) Two-Domain
Theology:
How We Escape Satan's Dominion by Bob DeWaay,
3/19/17 "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to
light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who
have been sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:18) People
are concerned that they may be demon possessed, cursed, or are
somehow suffering because of Satan's activity. They often look
for someone who can change their situation by casting out
demons, identifying and breaking curses, and taking authority
over Satan to stop whatever harm he may be doing. They typically
do not realize that their concern should be about what spiritual
domain they are in. Pagan shamans perform deliverance, break
curses and have techniques to try to affect the well-being of
their religious clients. But what they can never do is remove
someone from the domain of Satan into the domain of Jesus
Christ. Temporarily alleviating symptoms while remaining in
Satan's domain does nothing about one's eternal destiny. True
escape from Satan is not about symptom relief or geographical
boundaries. It is about leaving Satan's spiritual realm and
entering the spiritual reign of God in Christ. This is a
relational issue and nothing else. The two spiritual domains
exist simultaneously and throughout the entire geographical
world. There are physically sick and healthy people in both
realms. There are happy people with happy lives in both domains.
There are sad people with many difficulties in both spiritual
kingdoms. But the spiritual well-being and eternal destinies of
people are totally opposite depending on whether they are in
Satan's darkness or God's kingdom of light. Which kingdom is
dependent solely on their relationship to Christ through the
gospel.
(461) Dying with Christ
by James Jacob Prasch, 3/26/17 Oh, He is crucified, I have no doubt about that; He is
crucified, but how much of Jacob Prasch is crucified with
him. He is risen, I have no doubt He is risen. I am
absolutely convinced of the historicity of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. There is no question in my mind, he is
indeed risen. What I question is, how much is Jacob Prasch
living and walking in the power of his resurrection, have I
risen with him? He is speaking to me but am I hearing what
He is saying? He is trying to explain the scriptures but
do I understand it? I am on the road to Emmaus, but he
acts as if he would go further. He’s just going to keep
going! They had to invite him.
(463) Gideon’s Army - Judges 7
by James Jacob Prasch, 4/2/17
We are afflicted in every way, crushed? No, just afflicted.
Despairing? No, just perplexed. Persecuted, but not
forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. Always
carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus that the life of
Jesus may also be manifested in our body. We are constantly
being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake that the life of
Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh. We have
this treasure in earthen vessels. We have the light in the
vase, it has to be smashed that the light will shine. The
enemy will be defeated. Life comes from death, death to
self. The victory comes by the few, not by the great.
That is the way it was for Gideon and that is the way it is for us
today, this day, right here.
(464) Biblical
Literacy by Gary Gilley, Think on These Things, Volume
23, Issue 2, March/April 2017 I have found an amazing thing: when believers feed on a steady
diet of biblical truth they have little craving for cotton candy
fads. Why would anyone trade in the fountain of life for
cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13)? Of course
many have and do, but the solution is not to crawl into the
cistern, it is to showcase the fountain. Church growth
gurus tell us today that people have little interest in the Word
of God and we will never build a “great�? church if teaching
truth is the focus of our ministries. They have a
point. In most cases big churches have grown due to church
growth techniques, marketing, excellent music, exciting
programs, and mirroring the culture by telling people what they
want to hear. But no matter the size, whether 20 or
20,000, a great church must be defined by God, not
culture. It must never be forgotten that it was the
richest and most prosperous church of Asia that the Lord said He
would spit out of His mouth (Rev 3:16), while those churches
which seem to be insignificant received the Lord’s commendation
(Rev 2:8-11;3:7-13). Let us strive to please our Savior by
obeying His instructions to proclaim the Word and making
disciples.
(465) “Just as in the days
of Noah …�? by James Jacob Prasch, 4/7/17 There will be demonoids on the earth again in the Last Days,
ultimately pointing to Antichrist, the Beast of Revelation who
will be something approximating an incarnation of Satan, not in
the sense that Jesus was incarnate but approximating it.
It is moving in that direction, demonoids, demonic beings.
That is what happened in the days of Noah. Now, something
else happened in the days of Noah. God said to build an
ark. It’s dimensions all meant something in Biblical
numerics; 30 cubits by 50 cubits, look at the dimensions again:
“Three hundred cubits shall be it’s length, it’s breadth 50 and
it’s height 30.�? Three hundred cubits in the Bible is the
number of the Elect, as in Gideon’s Army was 300, 50 is the
number of the Holy Spirit, hamashim in Hebrew, the day of
Pentecost, and 30 is the number of spiritual maturity.
David began to reign as king when he was 30; Jesus began his
ministry at the age of 30. Three hundred, fifty, thirty—a
picture of the Church, what it is meant to be. Pitched
within and without—indwelt with the Spirit, the Spirit outside
and in, outpoured. It is the place of safety. When
God’s people got on that ark, when the whole number of those to
be saved were in, God closed it. Now is the appointed
time. Today is the day of salvation. Get on that ark
and beginning with your families, get as many people on that ark
as you possibly can. The hour is coming when the hand of
God is going to close that door. “Just as it was in the
days of Noah.�?
(466) Evidence for
the Resurrection by James Jacob Prasch, 4/10/17
I wish I could tell you “Happy Easter�? and in one way I
can. He is risen. He is coming again but if you
don’t know him, your future is not happy, be you Gentile or be
you Jew. The evidence is there. Please do not walk
out that door today without giving your life to the Messiah,
Jesus, Yeshua. When the Romans nailed him to that cross it
was by the prophetic ordaining of God that he would pay the
price for your sin and mine. When he rose from the dead it
was to give us eternal life. He did it, he did it.
But now he wants to show you. Please, if you don’t know
him, please stay and talk to Marco or myself. Chronos and
kairos, the clock is ticking away. My friend, if you don’t
know Jesus the Messiah, I can tell you one final thing.
For those who do know him, we don’t have to be afraid to go to
sleep, but if you don’t know him, you’d better be afraid to
die. Don’t be a fool, don’t be a loser, the price is
already paid, he has already made the way, that is Easter, that
is the Resurrection; that is the truth!
(467) Salt
free Christianity, the way of today's Church by
Mike Oppenheimer, 4/19/17 We hear of all different kinds of ingredients in food that we
should avoid for our health. Salt is high on the list. Today
salt is used as a flavor enhancer, but in biblical times it had
a more important purpose, it preserved meats. It was the most
available way to keep meat from going bad. Lev. 2:13 “and every
offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you
shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be
lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you
shall offer salt.’ Rom. 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God.�? Your body is a living sacrifice to God when you are
employed in his service. This is why Paul follows this with not
being conformed to the world; if we are conformed to the world
we are no longer having salt in our sacrifice.
(470) The
goal of man: Lessons in basic Christianity by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/23/17 There is no greater goal or ideal than for man to be in sync
with God, and do His will instead of sinful mans. It is God that
gives us new life by our response of acceptance to his Gospel. 2
Cor. 5:17 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old
things have passed away�? Eph. 2:4-5 “even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved)�? We learn that by faith which he has initiated
by his grace we are appointed to do his will, that God has a
plan for our life.
(471) Reject
The
Benedict Option: We Must Affirm Scripture Alone by Bob
DeWaay, 5/14/17 "Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Conservative author Rod Dreher has written a popular book that
promotes the claim that we must rebuild a Christian culture by
learning from the 6th century monastic, Benedict.1 The
underlying premise of the book is that Christianity needs a
Christian culture in order to insure that our children are not
assimilated into a culture of barbarism. This will likely
involve removing ourselves from the current culture as much as
possible. He compares this to the Jews coming out of Babylon
(Dreher: 18). The danger, according to Dreher, is that our faith
will not survive more than a couple generations. This warning is
particularly aimed at Christians in America. Dreher names the
current culture "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (45 and
elsewhere). This means that we try to find happiness and
direction fully disconnected from God. Since Deists were part of
the founding of America, he assumes that Deism is our key
problem (35). Dreher includes a brief history of religion and
philosophy in order to set the stage for "Saint" Benedict and
what we are to learn from him. Dreher presents a rather romantic
view of the Middle Ages and apparently sees their view of "God
in everything" as desirable. Consider his glowing description of
Medieval man ...
(473) Why
Definitions
Matter by Gary Gilley, 5/19/17 It was Mark Twain who famously said, “The difference between
the right word and the almost right word is the difference
between lightning and the lightning bug.�? Used by Twain, the
distinction between being a mediocre author and great one, such
as himself, was the choice of words. If this is important
to a novelist, how much more important it is to the Christian
attempting to communicate timeless truths given to us by our
Creator God. Words and their meanings matter.
Unfortunately, in our Christian lingo, we tend to use sloppily
thrown out words and terms which can mislead others and, in
time, some of these terms take on lives of their
own. While often harmless in their intent, I would
contend that when we do so we unknowingly miscommunicate
important truths that our Lord has revealed to us, and/or
mislead ourselves and others as a result. We need to give
serious attention to our terminology in order to avoid such
things. In this paper I want to identify a few words or terms
bandied about in Christian circles which need some
consideration.
(474) What
is
Satan's greatest ploy? by The Berean Call,
5/21/17 We are born again by the Word of God. Well, if that’s the case,
Satan is going to do whatever he can to destroy the Word of God.
Then it goes on a little…well, without going into the details,
the verses in between – verse 25 says: “And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you.�? So here we find out
why we must preach the gospel, because if you don’t believe the
gospel you are lost. You can’t be born again except through
believing the gospel. It’s that simple; this is what the Bible
says. So the importance of the Word of God…we are to earnestly
contend for this faith that comes through the Word of God.
(475) Few
Americans
Believe The Bible Is The Literal Word Of God at
Understand the Times, 5/26/17 Fewer than one in four Americans ¯ just 24 percent ¯ believe
the Bible is “the actual word of God, and is to be taken
literally, word for word,�? according to a new survey by
Gallup.
(476) A
Review Of Randy White's Article Delegitimizing Discernment
Ministries by James Jacob Prasch, 5/28/17 As requested I have carefully read Randy White's article with
its summary dismissal of all Discernment ministries. As with
most deceptive agendas , the opening paragraphs of his article
reveal his motive: He is attempting to misrepresent his
heretical view as a non essential (Gnat instead of a Camel),
when in fact it is a fundamental distortion of the scriptural
Gospel as per Galatians chapter 1: 6-9. The New Testament
unambiguously teaches that believers are indeed already under
the New Covenant (eg.2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 7:22) and the
denial of this is not the biblical Gospel.
(479) What
Does
it Mean to Repent and Be Saved? by Dr. Harry Ironside,
6/12/17 LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails believe that one of the reasons so
many proclaiming Christians are turning to contemplative
mysticism is because they have been following a non-biblical
“Gospel�? that has kept them from a true born of the Spirit
(born-again) relationship with Jesus Christ. Thus,
mystically-induced experiences take the place of that
relationship. The following article by Dr. Harry Ironside
explains what repentance (a requirement for salvation and being
born-again – “except ye repent�? – Luke 13:3-5) entails. It may
surprise a number of people when they discover what repentance
really is.
(480) The
Silent
Church in the Day of Apostasy by Warren B. Smith,
6/16/17 Traditional Christian believers frequently mention the analogy
of the frog that is so slowly and gradually boiled in a kettle
of water that it dies before ever realizing what is going on.
Yet many believers fail to realize that the very same thing is
happening to them as they tell that story. How else do you
explain the rapid rise of the “new gospel�? movement with hardly
a word of concern within the church about what’s been happening?
As “new gospel�? advocates continue to publish bestselling books
and flock to the airwaves in ever-increasing numbers to advance
their cause, there is a strange silence in the church. Does the
church have any idea what is going on?
(481) Election of
Israel: True Israel, True Prophecy by James Jacob
Prasch, 6/19/17 In the past we have spoken of those who have the most radical
positions against the prophetic purposes of God for Israel and
the Jews and for the election of Israel, the most extreme
radical or most radical Replacementists. You have people
like John Piper in America, a man who is misled and who misleads
others on this point and on others. But, in more recent
years, you have Hyper-Charismatics, people caught up in
Post-Millennialism, Dominion Theology, influenced by people like
George Eldon Ladd, the Theologian, and extrapolating things from
what he wrote. Many of these people began right but then
began going off. One of them who began right and began
going off was someone called Arthur Wallis. His earlier
books were quite good; then he went off. It is not always
easy to see where these people really began to go off.
They will always attribute things to people like Austin
Sparks. Now Austin Sparks said many good things, but
whether Austin Sparks really believed all the things that these
people, in retrospect, attribute to him is debatable.
Clearly, however, George Eldon Ladd was misled and so John Piper
is misled and so are a number of these people. It is not
our purpose now, but some of you are new so I have to point
something out. We have a recording called “The Twin
Pillars of Madness�? and we explain about Hyper-Charismatics who
get into Replacement Theology. Now, I myself believe in
all the gifts of the Spirit, understood and practiced
biblically. I don’t believe in the deceptions and counterfeits
happening today. I don’t believe in Charismania, but I do
believe in charismata. Cessationism is an un-biblical
doctrine. However, are we talking about charismata?
No we are talking about Charismania.\
(482) Children of the Light
by James Jacob Prasch, 6/25/17 If the light is dark, how great is the darkness? It should not
overtake us. It should not! But if you are swallowing these
false proclamations of global peace and false plans to achieve
peace you are on the very slippery slope; you have already got
your head in the trap. If you are not being alert—if you are not
watching the prophetic significance of the times in which we
live, certainly events in the Middle East. If you’ve got your
head in the sand, you’ve got your head in the trap. If you are
caught up in these counterfeit revivals that are not revivals,
if you are following these false prophets and these crazy people
teaching heresy, you’ve got your whole body in the trap. You
better pray that God sends an angel with an acetylene torch to
get you out of there because you are in trouble. If you believe
that stuff you will believe anything—not forearmed, not putting
on the armor! You are vulnerable and not understanding what the
Lord is saying to churches that once had the truth and have
gravitated away from it. Discernment evaporates. This should not
happen to sons of light. This day should not overtake the sons
of light. It shouldn’t happen to us, it shouldn’t. But friends,
I can tell you something, those foolish virgins are going no
place! This is dangerous. I see this in my own life. I struggle
with it every day. Brother Jacob Prasch the preacher, or
whatever you are…. If you are a son of light, why don’t you try
living like it? Knowing the theology and the doctrine is one
thing; picking up your cross daily and following Jesus and
living it out is another. Oh, the devil is a deceiver, the world
is a deceiver. Even sin has an innate capacity to deceive, sin
itself deceives. But there is nobody who can deceive us like
ourselves. There is nobody who can lie to you like yourself.
There is nobody who can con you like yourself; there is nobody
who knows you better than your old nature. The darkness. They
don’t know where they are going. Glen Beck does not know where
he is going. Those politicians don’t know where they are going.
THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING! How can we tell them when
we don’t know where we are going either? Once the light gets
dark, how dark is the dark. We, by the grace of Jesus and only
by the grace of Jesus, we are sons of light. By the grace of
Jesus, in these last and perilous days, may be enable us to live
like it. God Bless.
(483) “Eugene
Peterson
on changing his mind about same-sex issues and marriage�?
by Jonathan Merritt, Religion News Service, 7/14/17 LTRP Note: The following news story from Religion News Service
is posted for informational and research purposes and not as an
endorsement of the source or the content. The Message “Bible�?
has had a huge impact on Christianity. Famous pastors, like Rick
Warren, have quoted from it extensively, which has played a huge
role in developing the present-day nearly apostate church. It’s
too bad more Christians didn’t take heed to some of the warnings
about Eugene Peterson and The Message over the past several
years (see article links below).
(485) How to
spiritually grow in the times we live in by Mike
Oppenheimer, 8/8/17 Emergent church, the word-faith movement, positive confession,
prosperity movement; Postmodernism; Inter-faith, ecumenism, the
list is long as to what is being introduced as genuine. You can
choose your teaching, these are the various choices of today’s
poisons. Many have already found out they have been lied to by
their involvement with these aberrations but it becomes the most
hurtful when it takes place to the youth as it is disguised
being in the church.
(488) This
Week
In Prophecy (Video) by James Jacob Prasch via Skype,
9/11/17 September 9, 2017 Are the hurricanes God's judgement on
America? Wars and Rumors of Wars.
(489) The end
is never ending…And there will be false prophets among you
by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/20/17 Too many people have seen the solar eclipse of this last month
as a sign of the end. Numerous news sources are reporting on
Christian numerologist David Meade, a self-proclaimed
“researcher,�? predicting that a series of apocalyptic events
will begin on Sept. 23 and, “a major part of the world will not
be the same.�? David Meade, a theoretician and researcher, told
The Washington Post that an astronomical event will occur
September 23, 2017, and it will lead to Earth’s destruction. He
explained that his reasoning is because of several Bible verses
and a series of numerical codes Some take this to mean the world
is beginning to end, others actually think it is the end. Does
anyone read the Bible on this subject or are they are flying in
cloud 9 with their instrument panel broken?
(490) Don’t
Expect
The Rapture On September 23, 2017 by Scott Pruit,
9/22/17 There are many popular Bible teachers making the assertion that
September 23, 2017, will be a significant date in Bible
prophecy. Some are saying that on that date the rapture may or
even will occur. They even claim this idea has strong Biblical
support. Let’s take a look at this claim and see what the Bible
really says about it.
(491) Our
pilgrim’s journey by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/24/17 Life for everyone is a journey, there are only two
destinations. We are all pilgrims on earth. No one gets out of
here without suffering, being injured or scarred. We all face
hardships and tragedies in a fallen world. It’s what we do with
life’s travesties that make a difference in our character now
and what we will be later. The world will suck the life out of
you, it’s not your friend; The Bible says whoever loves this
world is an enemy of God. Does bad talk offend you, does
cussing, are you offended by some of the things in our culture
and the music? I hope so. If not you may have become too
friendly with the world.
(493) They
wanted him dead by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/30/17 From the beginning they wanted to kill Jesus, the first day he
read the scriptures in the synagogue they wanted to throw him
off a cliff Luke 4:28-30 "So all those in the synagogue, when
they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and
thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the
hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him
down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of
them, He went His way.“ Jesus being in control of the elements
was able weave his way through to escape because there was a
certain time he would give his life. Mark 9:31-32 For He taught
His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being
betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And
after He is killed, He will rise the third day." But they
did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.�?
Jesus told his closest disciple how the end of his life would
come, he was in complete control of everything that would take
place. Although Satan and religious men wanted him gone it would
not happen until he allowed it to. John 5:16-19 “For this reason
the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He
had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them,
"My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He
not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His
Father, making Himself equal with God.
(495) A Prayer God Will
Answer by James Jacob Prasch, 11/1/17 And so becomes the question--Why is it that God heard the
prayer of Moses? Why is it that it was the incense of Moses and
Aaron that God took into account? What was it that made God hear
their prayer? Not once, not twice, three times. What was it? The
thing that made God hear the prayer of Moses is the thing that
will make God hear your prayer and mine. The thing that caused
God to inhale the incense of Moses is the thing that will make
that same God find your incense and mine acceptable. Why did God
hear the prayer of Moses? Did God hear his prayer because he was
called? Yes God heard his prayer because he was called but there
was more to it than that. Did God hear his prayer because his
doctrine was correct? Yes his doctrine was indeed correct and
God heard his prayer but there is more. Did God hear his prayer
because his motives were pure? Yes God heard his prayer because
his motives were pure, but there is more than that. Did God hear
his prayer because he did not abuse or exploit his position? Yes
God heard his prayer because he did not abuse or exploit the
sheep misusing his position. All those things are true; all
those things are indefensible and if someone lacks those things
I would not expect God is going to hear their prayer. It says in
James "You can ask and not receive it you don't ask with a right
motive." That is all true but there is something more than that.
As crucial, as vital as each of those things are there was
another reason, an even greater reason that God heard the prayer
of Moses. Because when they turned against Moses, indeed, when
they rebelled against God himself, when they were not called,
when their doctrine was false, when their motives were not pure,
when they followed scoundrels what did Moses do? He fell on his
face and said "Spare thy people, O Lord." He did what Jesus did.
He said "Forgive them." Why should God become a man and hang of
the cross for a cocaine dealer and a campus radical from New
York like me? Why? I do not know why. Maybe someday he will tell
me why. In heaven I will know why, but right now I don't know
why he did, I just know that he did! He hung between the place
of the living and the dead. When he hung there, despite all the
things I did to him, despite the terrible things I had done, he
said "Father, forgive him. Father forgive them, they know not
what they do." These people don't know. Do you think these
people in Frangipane’s church...they don't have a clue, they
don't know. They have never been to a Bible study in the sense
that you would know what one is. They don't know. Does it get me
angry? I am sure it got Moses angry. It certainly got God angry.
But there was another side of God. Before his judgment came he
wanted to show his mercy. He wanted to give people a chance to
repent and be saved. And so God heard the prayer of Moses. Of
course he was called. Was his doctrine right? Absolutely. Where
his motives pure? Yes! Did he exploit or abuse God's people? No,
never. Are all these things true? Certainly, yes but there was
more to it. The reason God sniffed that incense, the reason God
heard that prayer is the one reason God will hear your prayer
and mine. We must be called, our doctrine must be right, our
motives must be pure, we must not exploit or abuse his people,
that is a given. But the capacity to say "Dear God, they have
rebelled against you, they've turned against me, they have
cursed me, they have unjustly accused us when we were only doing
your will. Please forgive them." That is why God heard the
prayer of Moses. That is the one prayer, as it were, that God
himself cannot turn a deaf ear to. That is the one prayer that
God can never say no to. "Father, forgive them."
(497) Guarding
the
Gospel with Discernment by Mike Gendron, 12/6/17
What is the greatest attack on the church today? That was the
weighty question asked of the speakers at a recent conference. I
promptly responded, "The greatest attack we are seeing today is
on the exclusivity and purity of the Gospel." The exclusivity of
the Gospel declares all other faiths are false because no one
can come to God except through the atoning death of Jesus Christ
(John 14:6; Acts 4:12). The exclusivity of the Gospel also
humbles the pride of self-righteous people and calls them to
repentance. This is why many pastors are compromising the
Gospel. They want to make it more inclusive in order to draw a
larger following, gain more influence and be loved by more
people. This man-pleasing gospel makes people comfortable in
their sin but it has no power to save them. It has become
popular because it exalts man and his importance and diminishes
God and His significance. It also emphasizes God's love
while ignoring His holiness, justice and hatred of sin.
(498) Jerusalem
–
A Cup of Trembling to the Nations by Bill Randles,
12/8/17 In view of last week’s UN Vote on the day the UN designates
“Palestinian day,�? in which 151 nations voted that Israel has
no claim on Jerusalem, and of last week’s six UN anti
Israel resolutions ,and and in view of today’s historic
declaration by President Trump that Jerusalem is the Capitol of
Jerusalem, I thought it fitting to re-run this 2010
exposition of Zechariah 12. Prophecy is being fulfilled this
very day!
(499) Jerusalem
-
The Capital of Israel by Roger Oakland, 12/9/17
Anyone who has read the Bible knows that Jerusalem has been the
capital of Israel since the nation’s foundation. So why is there
such a controversy following President Donald Trump’s decision
to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declare
Jerusalem the capital of Israel now?
(500) When
Error
Leads to Destruction by Danny Isom, Walk with the
Word, 12/11/17 One of the primary reasons that a Holy Spirit-filled, born
again Christian is supposed to devote themselves to Scripture,
is because it reeducates us where we have been deceived by the
world by the very words that we use. Nearly every definition of
a term found in God’s Word is manipulated or outright redefined
by the world’s dictionary so that it does not resemble that
which God’s Word originally intended. And thus we learn the true
meaning of such things as “love�?, “faith�? or “hope�? through
Scripture, whose respective biblical definitions are a
measurable contrast to the world’s meaning. But even lesser,
more ordinary words can be misconstrued because we still assume
that God’s Word is using them in the fashion most familiar to
our worldly upbringing. It would not be unusual to read the
above passage and interpret the phrase “to their own
destruction�? as merely meaning, “potentially harmful�? or “not
beneficial�?. That is not how Scripture uses the term
“destruction�? at all. When someone distorts Scripture, the
eventual consequences are far more serious than most realize.
(502) What is That
verse doing There? by Sandy Simpson, 1/12/18 I want to preface this article by saying that there are
elements of eschatology that are debatable among true believers,
in particular the Rapture. The debate among Premillennial
Rapturists (Preterists, Amillennialists and Postmillenialists
are in grave error) has long been a topic of conversation.
I am not stating that my view is the only one among true
Christians. What I am saying is that the presence of the
following verse in the narrative of Revelation is curious and
needs careful consideration. Revelation 16:15 (“Behold, I am
coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and
keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men
will not see his shame.�?)
(508) What
dies ... the Spirit or the body? by Mike Oppenheimer,
2/23/18 Unfortunately there are some who are not confident but
confused. The Bible has spoken, Christ is in heaven and so all
believers go because of his grace gift to be where He is.
(511) Response To Questions On The
"Pure Word" Translation by James Jacob Prasch, 3/6/18
Frankly, it is a ridiculous piece of junk that is hard to
believe anyone literate in Greek could defend or endorse. It
interpolates translated terms not found in the original Greek
manuscripts as if they were included in the original. It is sort
of like 'The Amplified' Bible in that it tries to represent the
nuances or possible meanings to the original text, except that
the Amplified sticks to the text as a valid 'study bible' and
places the expanded possible meanings grammatically and
linguistically into brackets etc. This hideous thing goes beyond
the original text and fails to make parenthetical, italicize, or
footnote, but re-writes the text into English as if the
insertions were found in the ancient manuscripts.
(515) Avoiding
Counterfeit
Violins from After Darkness, Light - Part 9, 1 John
2:26-27 by Stephen Davey, 3/24/18 The truth is, the 21st century is really no different than the
1st century. So much so that the Apostle will warn the church of
counterfeit ministers, counterfeit gospels, counterfeit
doctrines and counterfeit Christians.iii The average Christian
might be left to worry – “How can I tell the difference in a
world spiritual counterfeits – I’m not a theological expert – I
never took Cults 101 or How to Spot a Spiritual Deceiver 102.
What kind of equipment can I possibly have to enable me to tell
the genuine item from a forgery . . . a cheap imitation? How can
I avoid an imitation violin, in the spiritual world?
(516) Do
we establish the kingdom by power or force? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 4/2/18 In our day many wrong things are taught within the Spiritual
warfare movement, one of them that is crucial is the
aggressiveness the church is to have, like a military army for
establishing the kingdom on earth. Matthew 11:12-13 “And from
the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.�? It is this
particular scripture that is the basis of this movement. I have
heard a number of explanations on this passage that do not seem
to fit the meaning when one takes into account what Jesus
himself said about the kingdom and who enters it. So I want to
offer a different view that I hope can give light to a
perplexing scripture. Who was in charge until John the Baptist
came on the scene? It was the religious leaders, particularly
the Pharisees. When John came to preach repentance, the
Pharisees came out to see him and reacted (strongly) against his
message. The kingdom of heaven suffered violence, because
Pharisaic Judaism was violent. It lacked compassion, mercy and
fairness. John was the beginning of something new. Matt 11:13
“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, this
was the dispensation of law under Moses’ old covenant. John was
preaching of the Christ who was to come. A new dispensation
where a new covenant will be instated. Matt 3:1-2 “In
those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand!" In other words his answer went against the Pharisaic
practices of the day. It was what all of Israel had been
anticipating, waiting for, but it was not to come through the
Pharisees Judaism.
(517) Yoma: The Day Of
Atonement by James Jacob Prasch, Luke 4:14-26, 4/16/18
Obviously, there is one Messiah, two comings, and this is how
we understand in large part, the 69th and 70th week abridgment
in the Book of Daniel, but we see it here. He comes into the
synagogue and notice certain things; it refers to him as the
“Son of Joseph,�? other places he is called “Son of David,�?
here he is called “Son of Joseph�? in the town where he grew up.
Now, most of you know “HaMashiach ben Yosef,�? HaMashiach ben
David,�? “the Messiah the Son of Joseph, the Messiah the Son of
David.�? Here he is called “Son of Joseph.�? Now remember,
Joseph was accepted by Gentiles but rejected by his Jewish
brothers. He was rejected in his own land and they threw him
out, they got rid of him and Gentiles accepted him. So it is
here when Jesus is identified as “Son of Joseph�? where he
begins telling two stories of Elijah and Elisha, whom the
Gentiles accepted when the Hebrew people rejected them. He is
making that comparison of himself to them which has the people
quite indignant. Yet his words were gracious. But once he told
them the truth about himself, they were not so gracious. Once
they found out where he was really coming from, they became
indignant and became angry. It is the same thing today. You can
preach a good sermon or present a good gospel message, teach an
interesting Bible study and people will like it, but once you
begin to deal with what is wrong with the church and what is
wrong with them, those same people will very quickly turn on you
like a rat with rabies, in an instant. Now what happened here in
Nazareth was a foreshadowing of what would happen to him in
Jerusalem after the triumphal entry. He compares himself to
Elijah and Elisha and what took place with them.
(518) The
Original
Lie by Michael Penfold, 4/18/18 Humanity’s first sin stemmed from hell’s first lie when, in
Eden’s garden, Satan tempted our first parents with a powerfully
attractive but ultimately deceptive proposal: “Disobey God and
look what will be yours�?.
(519) "Beware
of" by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/1/18 The word carries the meaning to be aware and to avoid. It means
we must identify things to be safe. Jesus spoke numerous times
of what to beware of. He said what these were for our own
safety. Matt 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.�? These
are those who look like anyone else on the outside but inside,
their heart is filled with sinful thoughts, even evil. They have
agenda’s and they do not make your life better but what they do
is always best for themselves. They manipulate while sounding
religious or spiritual. Since wolves eat sheep these are our
enemy and we are told they are among us, and will increase. They
are in the church and to bring harm spiritually and even
physically to God’s children. Matt. 10:16-20 "Behold, I send you
out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as
serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will
deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a
testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you
up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will
be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is
not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in
you.�? These are those who betray you and want to bring physical
harm because of your religious beliefs are in opposition to
theirs, they exercise vengeance on you. This may not be a common
occurrence in America now but it is in the world. In America
they want you silenced, gone. If you stand up for Christ in any
way, speak of the Bible, or speak the truth and threaten to
expose them they want you quiet.
(520) Fall
of
the House of Saul by Jacob Prasch, 5/5/18 1 Samuel 28:6: "And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord
did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the
prophets." We are not certain what Urim and Thummim were, but we
do know they were two kinds of stones in an ephod case on the
high priest's chest. Urim has to do with the Hebrew word for
lights; this is how they discerned God's leading and direction
in some circumstances in Old Testament Israel. We see in 1
Samuel 28:6 that God stopped giving light to King Saul; He
stopped hearing King Saul. Saul's leadership was at this point
totally backslidden, and had become treacherous. When leadership
backslides, something else happens: God stops speaking to that
leader or those leaders. God would not speak to Saul by prophets
– perhaps God would send him false prophets, but no longer any
true prophet, such as Samuel. One of the things that take place
in this kind of situation is that God removes prophetic voices.
(521) Nests
in
the Altars by Harry Ironside, 5/6/18 Millions of Christians could testify to the fact that He has
never failed one who commits all things into His hands. If we
have never done it before, if we have never yielded ourselves
and all our affairs, oh, that we might do it today. He is
waiting to have us do that very thing. He longs to undertake for
us; and then, indeed, we shall know the meaning of these words,
“The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD
of hosts, my King, and my God.�? Then, too, we shall enter into
and understand the next verse, “Blessed are they that dwell in
Thy house: they will be still praising Thee.�? Peace, perfect
peace, in this dark world of sin; The blood of Jesus whispers
peace within. (Edward Henry Bickersteth, Jr., 1875)
(524) Nehushtan
(Video) by James Jacob Prasch, 5/19/18
John 3:14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even
so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
(525) Theologians
Warn
Andy Stanley's Message to 'Unhitch' Old Testament Is Heresy
by Stoyan Zaimov, The Christian Post, 5/22/18 Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley's recent message in which he
urged Christians to "unhitch" their faith from the Old Testament
continues to draw flak, with some calling it heresy. Both Kevin
DeYoung of Christ Covenant Church and Wesley Hill of Trinity
School for Ministry are calling Stanley out for what they
contend is heretical teaching — namely, Marcionism — that stems
from the early church days.
(528) Spiritual
Discernment
What It Is and How to Get It by Dr. Shelton Smith,
5/27/18 Spiritual discernment! What is it? Where do you learn about it?
Is it something we need? If so, how do we get it? Okay, let’s
see if we can find the answers to these questions.
(530) Does
God only heal or does he afflict and take life? by
Mike Oppenheimer, 6/2/18 1 Tim. 6:13 “God who gives life to all things.�? Rom. 4:17 who
gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist
as though they did.�? So many focus on God being the healer,
which he does out of his graciousness, but they ignore and some
even deny that God will afflict and take life. A cursory look at
the Bible proves them wrong. The first recorded instance of Gods
judgment he pronounces to Adam and Eve that they would die. He
later pronounced judgment on the human race when sin and
wickedness rose to its zenith, yet he gave mercy through Noah
which they refused. The Lord throughout history has afflicted
man for his sin though he often accompanied it with mercy. Here
are just few instances of his judgment. Isa. 30:20 “and though
the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of
affliction�?, Ps. 119:67 David says "Before I was afflicted I
went astray, but now I keep thy word."V.75 "In your faithfulness
you have afflicted me." David attributed his affliction to God
Deut. 32:39:“Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God
besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal.�?
Numbers 12 Mariam was afflicted with leprosy because she
disobeyed the Lord, she was healed when she repented of her
rebellion.
(531) Principles
of
Persecution by James Jacob Prasch, 6/4/18 When persecution comes, some people will stand that you would
not expect. Other people will fall away, whom you think would
stand. It is amazing to read the history of the English martyrs
in "Foxe's Book of Martyrs," and see those people you thought
would have stood, but who ran away; and other people who you
thought would have run away, but they stood. God judges the
heart. He knows what is really in us. If there is one thing that
is going to bring out what is really in us, it is persecution.
When persecution comes, we are really going to find out who is
who. Fire brings out what is inside someone.
(532) Combating
Error—Whose
Job Is It? (in answer to “Francis Chan Warns Those Who
Criticize Christian Leaders: “God Will Destroy You.�?)
by Victor Scipioni, 6/7/18 But where does combating error fit in to pleasing God? It fits
in through obeying the instructions in His Word to do so. We are
told specifically to be prepared at all times and in all seasons
to rebuke those who do not adhere to sound teaching (doctrine).
That constitutes combating error. Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. (2
Timothy 4:2-3) Combating error is a fight in which we must be
willing to engage just like a boxer contends to try to win the
title belt from the one who holds it. It is necessary.
(534) Occult
Practices in the Churches - How the occult has been fully
integrated into many Christian lives and fellowships
by Sandy Simpson, 6/7/18 The Bible is quite clear about occult practices. Neither
Israel nor the Church is to have anything to do with the way the
world tries to gain secret knowledge. The Gnostics were
and are known for promoting new revelation that is either
loosely tied to Scripture taken out of context or not at
all. The Israelites seeking information from the dead or
in omens were judged harshly by the Lord who had warned them
numerous times to stay away from that stuff. Yet due
to the influences of heretical teachers in the New Apostolic
Reformation, Word of Faith, Emergent Church, and the New Age
many have been successful in getting lots of churches and
denominations into occult practices that have been thinly
disguised as “Christian�?. Many of those who follow these
people, I’m sure, have no idea how far they have strayed into
the occult. First I want to give the dictionary definitions and
then Biblical warnings against these practices. Then I
will give examples in the churches taken mainly from the
ElijahList e-newsletter.
(540) Why
did Jesus speak to Paul in the Hebrew Language? by
Mike Oppenheimer, 8/4/18 On the way to his next roundup of Christians Saul is confronted
by a light. Acts 9:3-5 and suddenly a light shone around him
from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice
saying to him, "Saul , Saul , why are you persecuting Me?" And
he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the
goads." We later discover from Paul’s testimony to Agrippa
in Acts 26:14-16 And when we all had fallen to the ground,
I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew
language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard
for you to kick against the goads.' "So I said, 'Who are You,
Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Jesus
spoke this language, Saul’s native language for Saul to know he
is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has stopped him and
chosen him for a lifetime mission. Hebrew was the language
spoken in the religious services in the synagogues and Temple,
Aramaic, along with Greek was spoken in everyday life outside
the religious meetings.
(541) Principles of
Persecution by James Jacob Prasch God judges the heart. He knows what is
really in us. If there is one thing that is going to bring
out what is really in us, it is persecution. When
persecution comes, we are really going to find out who is
who. Fire brings out what is inside someone. And to the angel of the church in
Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has
come to life, says this: "I know your tribulation and your
poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say
they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do
not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is
about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested,
and youwill have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until
death, and I will give you the crown of life. He, who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who
overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation
2:8-11).
(542) Redemptive-Historical
Hermeneutics Part 1 by Gary Gilley, 8/17/18 Redemptive-historical hermeneutics (RH), sometimes called
Christocentric hermeneutics, has gained a lot of traction in
recent years, almost exclusively within Reformed circles. It
is the interpretive system used by those embracing Liberate
Sanctification and is important to understand in light of
recent TOTT papers on that subject. RH is also accepted
by a broader spectrum of theologians, many of whom reject
Liberate Theology, but to my knowledge virtually all would be
adherents of Covenantal Theology. It seems to have
emerged, in its modern form, from Reformed churches in the
Netherlands in the 1940s in an attempt to understand how the
narrative and historical sections of the Old Testament should
be understood and preached. It appears to be a reaction to
those who viewed the stories and individuals within Scripture
as merely examples to imitate or shun. Instead the RH
founders saw these narratives, and in fact all of Scripture,
as speaking directly of Christ.
(546) Willful
Blindness (Video) by Jacob Prasch, 9/10/18 God's judgment on willful blindness: In an age of deception,
the only problem bigger than the deceivers is self deception.
Prolonged disdain for truth will warrant God's judgment. Jacob
Prasch speaks about the problem of willful blindness and God's
judgment. This message was given during his recent trip to
South Africa on August 7, 2018.
(548) Did
Jonah die in the whale or did he survive three days?
by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/20/18 First, it may not have been a whale, the word is a great fish
which means it was one of considerable size. Also we find that
God appointed this fish to swallow Jonah, as he appointed many
other things of his creation that are recorded in the book of
Jonah. Many people believe that Jonah stayed alive in the fish
for three days and that is the miracle but this is not what the
Scripture portrays of this event. It says he cried from “Out of
the belly of Sheol�? not just the whales belly. The Hebrew word
for belly of Sheol is different than the belly of the fish,
indicating two different areas.
(549) Putting
On The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-17 by Dr. Stephen
Daveys, 10/6/18 God has not given the Christian final victory over sin, but the
potential for repeated victory over sin. So don't be caught off
guard. Don't expect one victory over temptation to mean that you
have conquered that temptation. It will come back again. When
you hear the bullets of lust, anger and pride stop firing, it's
not because the Devil's given up . . . it's because he's loading
a bigger gun.
(550) The
Day of the Lord by Jacob Prasch, 10/8/18 We’re looking at the “Day of the Lord�?. Now, in Hebrew the day
of the Lord is not called “the Day of the Lord�?, it’s actually
called the “Day of Yahweh�?. From the fall of man, until that
time, it is “the time of Satan�?. Jesus said directly that Satan
is the god of this world. This will intensity in the Last Days.
Certain things happen. What happens is this: God is the God of
history. He exercises lordship over history. But with the
manifestation of Antichrist, we’re told in the book of Daniel he
will think to change the laws and the times. (Daniel 7:25) And
they will be given into his hand for two “times, a time, and a
half time�?. Revelation and Daniel both break the last seven
years of history into two halves of two “times, a time, and a
half time“ – 3-1/2 lunar years, 1,260 days by the lunar
calendar, thereabouts. There are a number of things that teach
about this “times, time, and a half time�?, one of which
foreshadows it – prefigures it – is what happened in the days of
Eliyahuw Hanawbe, Elijah the prophet. Remember, it was 3-1/2
years when it did not rain. During that time he was in conflict
with Ahab and Jezebel. Understand the pattern – this is Jewish
midrash. Naboth‘s vineyard was coveted. Jezebel turns the king
Ahab against Elijah because Elijah tries to defend Naboth’s
vineyard. The wicked woman turns the king against Elijah.
(551) “Contextualization�?
of the Gospel – A Free-Falling Catastrophe by Roger
Oakland, 10/11/18 You may not have heard the term before, but contextual theology
is a prominent message from the emerging church. In his book,
Models of Contextual Theology(1992), Stephen B. Bevans defines
contextual theology as: . . . a way of doing theology in which
one takes into account: the spirit and message of the gospel;
the tradition of the Christian people; the culture in which one
is theologizing; and social change in that culture, whether
brought about by western technological process or the
grass-roots struggle for equality, justice and liberation.1 In
other words, the Bible in, and of itself, is not
free-standing—other factors (culture, ethnicity, history) must
be taken into consideration, and with those factors, the message
of the Bible must be adjusted to fit. As one writer puts it,
“Contextual theology aims at the humanization of theology.�?2
But two questions need to be asked. First, will the
contextualizing of Scripture cause such a twisting of its truth
that it no longer is the Word of God, and secondly, is Scripture
ineffective without this contextualization? To the first, I give
a resounding yes! And to the second, an absolute no. The Word of
God, which is an inspired work of the living Creator, is far
more than any human-inspired book and has been written in such a
way that every human being, rich or poor, man or woman,
intelligent or challenged will understand the meaning of the
Gospel message if it is presented in their native language; and
thanks to the tireless work of missionaries for centuries, the
Gospel in native languages is becoming a reality in most
cultures today.
(552) The Use of Invective in
Apologetics by Sandy Simpson, 10/16/18 This article is about the use of invective while attempting to
do apologetics or teaching discernment. Invective is
defined as a noun: insulting, abusive, or highly critical
language ie. "he let out a stream of invective". I admit
to using invective at times in the past. My goal is to
stop that practice and focus on the facts, not attack an
individual’s ability to comprehend. In the case of
Christians, the first thing to consider when doing apologetics
is our mandate to reconcile people to Christ, no matter who they
are. 2 Cor. 5:18-21 Now all these things are from God, who
reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry
of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We must always be cognizant of our duty to not just “demolish
arguments�? for the sake of demolishing them but to do so with
the hope and prayers that the person teaching falsely will
repent and return to Christ.
(554) The
Abandoning of True Bible Eschatology by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/1/18 Latter Rain adherents believe in a last day’s revival unlike
any other in history taking place today. This view is an
outgrowth of the “kingdom now�? restoration movement. It wrongly
applies eschatological passages for Israel to the church today.
To many, the nation of Israel is no longer an integral part of
God’s end time plan and rejected as forsaken, despite the
warnings in Romans 11:18-29 and Genesis 12:3.
(555) Redemptive-Historical
Hermeneutics by Gary Gilley, 11/7/18 As stated in Part One of this series, redemptive-historical
(RH), or Christocentric hermeneutics, is becoming increasingly
popular, especially within Reformed and Covenantal theological
circles. In short, RH is the idea that all of Scripture speaks
of Christ. This does not mean that Christ is found under
every rock but that all Scripture concerns Christ. The Bible
should be read through the lens of Jesus and Christ should be
preached from every text. Christ and His redemption plan,
therefore, become the rubric through which all Scripture is to
be interpreted and preached. In the previous paper I challenged
these assertions, pointing out that once we accept this
hermeneutical system the exegete no longer uncovers the meaning
of the original authors (both human and Divine), but now imposes
upon the text a forced meaning that is often not there and not
intended. To be sure, a great deal of God’s Word focuses
on Christ and redemption, but that is a far cry from claiming
that this is the only theme and that every passage must somehow
be interpreted around that theme. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(556) A
Synopsis for why we no longer keep the Old Testament law
by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/9/18 Let’s begin with a crucial question. Was the law given to all
people or only to the nation of Israel? What is the believer’s
relationship to the Law or the Sabbath today after the new
Covenant was made? Can anyone show a Scripture written to the
church after the new covenant was made by Christ’s death and
resurrection that required anyone to keep the Sabbath as they
did in the Old Testament (both Jews and gentiles of the church)?
Of course I have heard the law keepers make thousand dollar
offers in the opposite referral, asking where we are told not to
keep the Sabbath, and they never pay up when they shown to be
wrong. When one requires themselves and others to keep the
Sabbath because of the Old Testament law they are denying
themselves of living by the new covenant. They become a new
covenant grace breaker. One can keep the Sabbath or certain laws
by choice, but when they think it is mandatory then they become
a judge of others.
(557) Beatitude
twisted beyond recognition in The Message “Bible�? by
The Word Like Fire, 11/12/18 The Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 are the very words of Jesus
Christ. Consider the following verse from the KJV and the NASB:
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew
5:5, KJV) Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the
earth. (Mathew 5:5, NASB) The word “gentle�? in the NASB can
also be translated as “humble�? or “meek.�? But once again, as
we have seen so many times before, The Message version of this
verse is strangely altered: You’re blessed when you’re content
with just who you are–no more, no less. That’s the moment you
find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
(Matthew 5:5, The Message) Huh?
(558)The
Divine Aristocracy by James Jacob Prasch, 11/19/18 Let us look at a few verses in Proverbs before turning to our
main text in Ecclesiastes.
Proverbs 8:6-11 "Listen, for I shall speak noble
things, and the opening of my lips will produce right things.
My mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my
lips. All of the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness;
there is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all
straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who
find knowledge. Take my instruction, not silver, and knowledge
rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and
all desirable things cannot compare with her." Instruction from God, we are told,
is better than silver. Knowledge of Him and of His Word is
better than gold, and wisdom is better than jewels. The world has its aristocracy; they
will always look for gold, silver, jewels, annuities,
investment portfolios, securities, etc. The world will look to
material wealth – its aristocracy must and will have all of
these things that will not matter in eternity. God says,
however, that only the things that last forever
are real riches. Silver, gold and jewels will not
get you off the road to hell, nor will they get you into
heavenly Jerusalem.
(559) What
is God, how is he described in Scripture? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/30/18 There are two classes of beings in the universe, created and
non-created. God is in the non-created class and He as Spirit
is all by himself, as the one God. The Bible teaches that God
alone is eternal (Deut. 33:27). “From everlasting to
everlasting you are God�? (Ps.90:2). Isa. 57:15 thus says the
High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place.�? God is infinitely
eternal, having no causation. All that is finite, that is
created has a cause and is dependent on what caused it to
exist. God is the uncaused cause of all things. So only what
is infinite is unlimited and must be the cause of all things.
This is the being called God who did not have a beginning of
Himself, if he had a beginning no matter how far back in time
he could no longer be infinite. God is not dependent on
another but is a self - contained, self - sufficient. God said
his name forever is “I AM that I AM,�? which means He is the
self-existent one, always being who he is, omniscient, never
changing, all knowing never needing to learn. He has no
limitations. He is called the living one that has life
eternal. This is the God of the Bible. God always existed. He
is eternally existent. We as human beings had a beginning.
Eternity if described in human terms stretches backwards and
forwards it is of perpetual duration neither having beginning
nor end. This concept of eternity cannot be fully comprehended
but only apprehended.
(560) Social
Justice by Gary Gilley, 12/27/18 The present debate hinges on the answers to these two
questions. I believe the New Testament is abundantly
clear that the church has a unique message and mission.
It is to spread the gospel and disciple believers.
Believers in turn are to be the salt and light to the world
which in many instances will bring about social changes in
society, but that is not the Christian’s direct calling.
Yes, the church should preach, and stand against sin, all
sins, including societal evils such as racism, injustice,
greed, slander and hatred. We should be concerned for
this planet for after all we are citizens not just of heaven
but of this earth as well. But one will search in vain to find
in the New Testament examples of, or instructions to, the
church attempting to change culture through political
involvement, poverty reduction, rebellion against government,
or social programs, and the like. Those who argue
otherwise do so without the support of Scripture. Let us
stand against sin; let us show compassion for the needy; let
us take the opportunities the Lord gives us to demonstrate the
love of Christ; let us condemn social injustice, and let us
actively take our place in society. But let us not
dilute the unique message of the cross, or the unique ministry
of discipleship, by adding social justice issues to Christ’s
gospel or mandate. This has been done before, always
with the same results. What begins as a mere addition to
the biblical message and mission soon becomes equal to them,
and then overwhelms them, and ultimately replaces them.
May we carefully consider these issues before we head down
this pathway again.
(562) God
remembers by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/14/19 The Bible tells us God who is omniscient in His nature sees
all and knows all. Therefore he would remember all. All the
works we have done in Christ will be rewarded on that day, and
all the works of the flesh will be burnt up and not follow us
into our eternal state. All the New Testament doctrines point
to the one who made the new covenant will be the judge of all,
the Son of God sent from heaven, who is Jesus Christ. He
remembers in fairness and is perfectly just in his judgments.
At the Bema seat judgment Jesus judges our works, not our
eternal destination which is already settled. It’s an
evaluation of our works in Christ, where we get rewarded for
doing what is good in life, what we did for him. In fact he
knows many things that we do not, the injustices we did
without thinking and the ones that were done against us that
unthinking or were purposeful. He also knows our attempts to
reconcile and the people that refuse to enter into any process
and continue to do harm. There is only so much we can do to
make things right. It is up to the other party to respond in
the correct way. As Jesus said where there are two or three
gathered in his name. Which means they are willing make things
right. Sometimes Christians can be no different than those who
live in the world for themselves, “the Spirit who dwells in us
yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." (James
4:5-6) Anyone who has lived long enough knows the way of the
world, our life does not always go the way we expect. There is
no yellow brick road for the Christian, only a narrow road for
the pilgrims of this world, and it is difficult, we can suffer
like anyone else. So while on earth we work, and it not for
naught for we are rewarded. Not that the reward is our
motivation otherwise it is for nothing. We work and do what is
written because we love him and want to be with him and our
brothers and sisters in the future kingdom He will bring to
earth. That is such a great hope that will soon be realized.
(563) False
Brethren Secretly Brought In by Sandy Simpson,
1/15/19 Galatians 2:4 But it was because of the false brethren
secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty
which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into
bondage. (NASB) Galatians 2:4 And that because of false
brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: (KJV)
The context of this passage is when Paul went to Jerusalem to
meet with the Apostles and he was addressing the Judaizers who
were bringing in legalistic heresy by adding works to
salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ
alone. These men, not unlike their counterparts today,
were “hypocrites. They were actors pretending to be Christian,
but they were not. They, in effect, wore a mask or a religious
costume, and imitated the speech of true Christians, learning
all the Christian words like an actor playing a role. They
gave the outward appearance of being godly, but inwardly they
were ungodly.�? (Mike Storti, False Brethren) We know that the
apostles themselves were almost duped by these ideas and if it
weren’t for Paul and Tutus we would likely have a different
version of Christianity today. Jewish false brethren
believed that followers of Christ must be circumcised as per
the Law of Moses. They had ignored what Jesus stated at
the Last Supper: Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the
cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured
out for you is the new covenant in My blood. Hebrews 8:13 When
He said, “A new covenant,�? He has made the first obsolete.
But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
disappear.
(564)
Heresies
Past: What were they and where are they
now? by Sandy Simpson, 2/20/19 You might be surprised to find out that many of the
heresies of the early centuries are still around today.Many of them have been
modified to some degree, but they are mostly the same
unbiblical heretical ideas.When
you
toy around with core doctrines like the Trinity and the
Hypostatic Union, you prove yourself to be a heretical false
teacher.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, And that
which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothingnewunderthesun.
(565) Changed
By Beholding Him by Harry Ironside, 3/4/19 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
(2 Corinthians 1:18) The opening verses of this chapter are, I
think, a bit ironical. The apostle Paul had been used of God
for the conversion of these Corinthians. Into that godless
city—one of the vilest cities in the ancient world—Paul came,
preached the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, determined,
as he says, “not to know any thing among you, save Jesus
Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). And that old
Gospel worked, as it always works when it is presented in the
power of the Holy Ghost. There is no other message needed to
change men and women, to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God. Under Paul’s ministry for a
year and a half, a number of them were converted. You remember
he cites a great list of sins of which he says no one given to
these things shall inherit the kingdom of God. Then he adds,
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Having been saved, they were brought together as a Christian
company, a Christian ecclesia, a Christian church. They were a
wonderful church in many ways. They came behind in no gift;
all sorts of spiritual gifts and graces were manifested among
them, so much so that eventually a spirit of envy and jealousy
came in, and teacher was set against teacher, preacher against
preacher, and exhorter against exhorter; and by and by,
parties came into the church. Some said, “I am of Paul; I like
one who gives deep teaching.” Others said, “I am of Peter; I
like one who can stir up our pure minds, a real exhorter.”
Others said, “I am of Apollos—the eloquent man, one mighty in
the Scriptures, a real evangelist.” So, they were dividing
into groups according to their appreciation of the ministry
God had given, and Paul rebuked them for that. Then there came
among them certain men from Judea who tried to undermine
Paul’s influence over them. These brethren hated the plain,
simple Gospel of the grace of God, so they undertook to try to
destroy the confidence of the saints in the one who had led
them to Christ in order that they might turn them away from
the liberty of grace to the bondage of law. You have a good
idea of how that kind would come in. I can imagine a couple
coming from Jerusalem to see a few of the brethren. Perhaps,
it was prayer-meeting night, so there might only be a few.
They would say “We are very pleased to see you, brethren. So,
you are Christians? We are Christians too.”
(566) Why
God Hates The Occult by Bill Randles, 3/10/19 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations
of those nations. There shall not be found among you any
one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all
that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and
because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them
out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the
Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt
possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners:
but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to
do. ( Deuteronomy 18:9-14) When God set up a theocracy, He
very strictly warned and threatened against any who would ever
touch the occult. There was a death penalty for those who
participated in any form of the dark practices of the pagans.
The various occult practices were considered to be abominable
to the LORD, and so also were the practitioners. Both the sin
and the sinner were and are considered utterly detestable to
the Holy God. It was to be eradicated from Israel, completely
rooted out and eliminated. Anyone sympathetic with it was to
be tried and executed, for trafficking in the Occult was
treated as a special kind of treason in the Kingdom of God
being established in Israel. What was it about the occult,
that provoked such a strong warning in so many places in the
scripture? Read Part
1, Part
2, and Part
3.
(567) Entertaining
Devils Unawares by Jackie Alnor (Orig published Feb,
2003 Apostasy Alert), 3/12/19 The Bible instructs us to be kind to strangers because we
could be entertaining angels unawares. But the flip side to
that is that we could be entertaining fallen angels unawares.
Nowhere in church history is that more evident than in the
Roman Catholic Church. Fallen angels, or what the Bible calls
“devils,” often come on the scene wearing various disguises.
The best way to test any paranormal claim is by the Word of
God because any newer revelation, if it is from God, will not
contradict what He has already revealed in Scripture. The
Apostle Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 what would
soon happen in the church. “For I know this, that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things. . .” (Acts 29:30).
(568) The
foundation we build on by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/16/19 We in the church are united by our Christian distinctive.
Christ is the foundation for the church. The core doctrines
are our foundation of knowledge. If the foundation which we
build on is not straight then it will be crooked. Think about
how a house would look, if the house was slanted, and how long
would it last? Now ask how many people you know that
have fallen away that looked like they built on the foundation
of Christ. Why are they no longer among the church? The answer
is simple and obvious. They never really understood, so how
could they hold to the core teachings. I can’t say it is
wholly their fault, because many in the church do not teach
the core doctrines. So then how are the new believers
being disciple? And furthermore how can they disciple others.
This one of the main reasons evangelism as it is given is
failing.
(569) Is
The Bible Historically Accurate? A Dave And Tom Classic
by Dave Hunt and Tom McMahon, 3/17/19 Well, this is what the Bible says. The Bible claims to be
God’s Word. If it isn’t God’s Word, what’s the point? There’s
no point for you and for me to sit here and discuss what we
think God may have said. Then we’re going to decide what
religion is right or wrong—on what basis would we decide that?
The Bible says all of the rest of them are wrong. Let’s go to
the Bible first. It claims to be God’s Word, and if we can
prove it, and we can, then we’ve saved a lot of time!
(572) The
foundation we build on by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/14/19 We in the church are united by our Christian distinctive.
Christ is the foundation for the church. The core doctrines
are our foundation of knowledge. If the foundation which we
build on is not straight then it will be crooked. Think about
how a house would look, if the house was slanted, and how long
would it last? Now ask how many people you know that
have fallen away that looked like they built on the foundation
of Christ. Why are they no longer among the church? The answer
is simple and obvious. They never really understood, so how
could they hold to the core teachings. I can’t say it is
wholly their fault, because many in the church do not teach
the core doctrines. So then how are the new believers
being disciple? And furthermore how can they disciple others.
This one of the main reasons evangelism as it is given is
failing. Of the 4 soils the seed falls on Matt 13:23 But he
who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word
and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some
a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Luke 8:11-16 “The
seed is the word of God.” He speaks basically the same as
Matthew and in v.15 “But the ones that fell on the good ground
are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good
heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” It is important
whom you learn from, how you learn to interpret scripture. If
you learn to apply it all to yourself you will then take
scriptures that are historical and used for a certain time or
person and spiritualize them, allegorize them. Then on the
other hand if you do not learn the difference between what is
historical and what can be applied to you, you may never walk
with the Lord and grow into what He has for you. Because the
majority of the church is not grounded in scripture they have
no defense for what is false. So they allow Yoga, eastern type
meditation, even blatant occult teaching such as words have
power, or new revelation from so called prophets to be taught
in their church. This is where we find ourselves today, where
many do not use the word in context as the basis for living.
When God gave the task for Israel to build the tabernacle he
gave specific instructions on how it was to be built. It would
be like someone saying they are going to build the house you
want from a picture without any measuring and hope of their
accuracy.
(573) The
Lord’s Supper Part 1 by Gary Gilley, 5/4/19 During the formative days of the Reformation, when Martin
Luther and Huldrych Zwingli were at the height of their
influence, they came together to discuss some of the
theological differences that had surfaced between the various
leaders of the movement. As they sat down to hammer out
these matters they would check off doctrine after doctrine in
which they were in basic accord. The two men were in agreement
concerning salvation by God’s grace through faith alone, that
the Scriptures were the only authoritative revelation from
God, and the issues of eternal life. As a matter of
fact, they could join hands over virtually all the essential
beliefs – what have been termed the non-negotiables of the
faith. The discussion came down to one final issue that
of the Lord’s Table. Zwingli went first, laying
out a very detailed formation of his understanding of this
particular doctrine. In the meanwhile Luther sat
at the other end of the table in silence, seemingly doodling
on the table. When Zwingli was done, Luther pulled back the
tablecloth to reveal a simple statement which he had
written. It simply read, “This is My body.” In
Luther’s mind, this quote from Jesus disproved everything
Zwingli had said. As a result, the Reformation was
splintered.
(574) Setting
Aside the Power of the Gospel for a Powerless Substitute
by David Dombrowski, 5/12/19 If I were to say to you that much of the church today has set
aside the power of God, would you be shocked? After all, we
live in a time where having the power of God in your life is a
major theme preached from pulpits across the country. And book
after book, sold in massive quantities, pour off the presses
promising a special connection or intimacy with God that will
revolutionize your life and make it more dynamic. Yet, I
believe I can prove that, in fact, the power of God is being
laid aside, and I will tell you how.
(575) Who
is the Word, and did the Word became the Son? by
Mike Oppenheimer, 5/13/19 No other gospel speaks of Jesus as the Word, and neither does
the Old Testament. It is John who used the Greek concept of
his day to clarify who the Word is. 1 Jn.5:20 "And we are in
him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God
and eternal life." If the Son is the true God then doesn’t
that make him eternal, possessing eternal life as his personal
nature? Prior to this John writes 1 Jn.5:10-12: "He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he
that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he
believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is
the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life." If you do not
believe in an eternal son of God who is Jesus when he
incarnated as man you have not received eternal life. You must
have the correct Son, the one who is the true God as John
writes in v.20. So many like complicating what God made simple
in his own words. Be careful of the distortions of the cults
and the heresy teachers that deny an eternal Son and Father.
(576) What
is Your Authority for Knowing Truth? by Mike
Gendron, 5/18/19 One of the most important decisions anyone makes in this life
is choosing which authority to trust for their eternal
destiny. We can be wrong about a lot of things in this life
and still survive, but if we are wrong about which authority
to trust for our life after death, we will pay for that
mistake for all eternity. As ambassadors for Christ, we must
ask people if they have a reliable source for discerning truth
from error. Has that source ever been wrong before? Is it
possible for that source to ever mislead or deceive people?
Since every religion has an authority, and every person has an
opinion, we need to ask people about their source for truth
when we share the Gospel. Some will say their authority is a
person, a book, a religion, a spirit, or their own
understanding. Some will say they rely on their popes, rabbis,
religious leaders, religious traditions, human
reasoning, church history, church fathers, or
Google. Any of these sources might be right some of the time,
but there is only one source that is right all the time. Our
holy and omniscient God has never been wrong, and He has given
us His Word as our only infallible source for truth.
Scripture's supreme authority is established by its divine
origin. There is no higher authority than our almighty God and
creator.
These days every core doctrine of the Church is
under extraordinary attack.One
of the most important core doctrines is that of the Trinity,
the Triune God …“God is
one God eternally existent in Three Persons, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit”. Another way of stating it is “God is one "What"
and three "Whos" with each "Who" possessing all the attributes
of Deity and personality”.I am
going to lay out the general case first against any teachings
that intentionally or unintentionally try to deconstruct who
God is, in particular who Jesus Christ is.I will then move on to a few specific cases and
answer their assertions individually.
(578) Missing
the Mark -- Missing the Solution by T.A. McMahon,
The Berean Call, 5/27/19 Most of us understand that “missing the mark” is one of the
biblical definitions of sin. The Apostle Paul uses the Greek
verb hamartano for sin in Romans:3:23: “For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God.” That may seem to some as
a bit unfair, since rarely would we think that not measuring
up to a goal or standard is sin. “Missing the mark” doesn’t
seem like much of an offense, considering most sins of which
we’re aware, especially the horrendous ones. An arrow that
falls short of the target is sin? Seriously? To react in such
a way reveals much about ourselves and the condition of our
hearts in relationship to our Creator. God is perfect.
Everything He says and does is perfect. Therefore, His
standard is perfect. Anything that “come[s] short” of His
standard must be sin. As James tells us, “For whosoever shall
keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty
of all” (James:2:10). That’s God’s criterion for being with
Him. We sin, we die. And we have all sinned. Death involves
physcal and spiritual separation. It may be from God—and it
could be forever. One might ask, as the disciples did on one
occasion, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus responded, “With men
this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”
(Matthew:19:25-26). God’s judgment and justice are perfect.
The penalty for sin is eternal separation from Him. It’s an
infinite punishment, and finite mankind can never pay the full
sentence. But God can, and did! “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
(John:3:16). Jesus, the perfect, sinless God/Man, satisfied
perfect justice by fully paying for the sins of mankind—past,
present, and future.
(579) Updated! The
Lord’s
Supper Part 1 by Gary Gilley, 6/3/19 During the
formative days of the Reformation, when Martin Luther and
Huldrych Zwingli were at the height of their influence,
they came together to discuss some of the theological
differences that had surfaced between the various leaders
of the movement. As they sat down to hammer out
these matters they would check off doctrine after doctrine
in which they were in basic accord. The two men were in
agreement concerning salvation by God’s grace through
faith alone, that the Scriptures were the only
authoritative revelation from God, and the issues of
eternal life. As a matter of fact, they could join
hands over virtually all the essential beliefs – what have
been termed the non-negotiables of the faith. The
discussion came down to one final issue that of the Lord’s
Table. Zwingli went first, laying out a very
detailed formation of his understanding of this particular
doctrine. In the meanwhile Luther sat at the
other end of the table in silence, seemingly doodling on
the table. When Zwingli was done, Luther pulled back the
tablecloth to reveal a simple statement which he had
written. It simply read, “This is My body.” In
Luther’s mind, this quote from Jesus disproved everything
Zwingli had said. As a result, the Reformation was
splintered. Read
Part
1 & Part
2.
(580) Neglecting
to Test the Spirits—A Tragedy of Enormous Proportions
by Lighthouse Trails, 6/10/19 If there is one thing we don’t hear much about from
today’s Christian leaders and pastors, it is the importance of
testing the spirits. The idea comes from the Bible in 1 John
4:1, which states: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
[test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. This can relate both to
the experiential and the doctrinal. With either, we need to
remember that not every experience and not every doctrine is
“of God” because indeed there are “many false prophets” in the
world and in the “church” today, and there are many “voices”
that are not from God.
(581) The
Trinity Series (Audio) by Bill Randles, 6/13/19 Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Father and The Son, The
Fellowship With the Holy Spirit, The Doctrine of Christ
(582) Adam’s
Sin made you a sinner- An explanation of why we need the
Gospel by Mike Oppenheimer, 7/5/19 Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the
world, and death through sin. All die because all sin
(Rom.3:23). All sin because they have the nature of fallen
Adam. Paul further elucidates in v.18-19 says, "through one
man's trespass, judgment came to all men, for by one man's
disobedience all were made sinners." ALL were made
sinners by Adam. We are all born with a built-in death
warrant, which is our sin nature, because we have inherited
this sin nature from Adam we are already born spiritually dead
(separated from God) and die physically. 1 Cor. 15:22: “For as
in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”
(583) What
is Christianity all about? by Mike Oppenheimer,
7/23/19 Do you know what life is about? The years can go by very
quickly as you live life, going through the trials and
hardships that we all face. Life is a gift, Eternal life in
Christ is the greatest gift to mankind. The healthiest person
can die by some unknown natural cause or an accident. No one
knows what tomorrow will bring for them, there are no
guarantees. Many when they get older, more mature turn to a
spiritual life, they understand that their body, this world is
not all there is. They still feel the same youth inside though
their body is wearing out. They search for answers through
philosophy, religion. They turn to humanism to do good. There
are those that teach a positive life attitude is what is
needed for right living. There are numerous teachers of all
types throughout history that have said they have the answer.
Jesus is not like other religious leaders. We are not told to
do good to be accepted. We were not just given a set of rules
to learn and abide by. Too many people, even those who go to
church have this view of him and what he delivered. Jesus said
He came to give us an abundant life, not for things but for
what matters. A fullness to our soul, to be satisfied in life
with what really matters. To be content with little and have a
peace when conflict and trials come. Where we can stay the
course and not be shipwrecked with what life throws at us.
Jesus said “My peace I give unto you.” It is that rest for our
soul, He shares His peace with us in the midst of the worst of
circumstances, in the trials of life. But one must make “peace
with God” first to have “The peace of God” with them when
facing these trials.
(584) Your
personal Spiritual warfare by Mike Oppenheimer,
7/29/19 When we hear the term spiritual warfare it is interpreted in
different ways depending on what you have been taught or
experienced. In the Bible we read of our world as a
battlefield, the Devils kingdom opposes God’s and the chess
pieces being moved are you and I, mankind. He is after our
soul, which is man’s greatest self possession. We are
contending in spiritual warfare every day in various ways.
Influences are all around us to have us act contrary to our
new nature. We begin to enter a war in our mind that wants to
solicit the heart, the flesh wars against the spirit and the
spirit against the flesh, that is our personal spiritual
warfare. We either react in our old nature, or in the new.
This warfare can show up in relationships, where the enemy
wants to divide. When we get wrong thoughts about a person we
know or respect, it can either be our flesh or the devils
fiery dart. If it persists after you decide it is wrong, then
you know it’s not originating from you. Satan continually
interferes with the believers who are at work serving the
Lord, not those in neutral, he leaves them alone. So if one
says everything is always fine in their life then they may be
in neutral for God’s kingdom. One of the biggest threats to
his kingdom is one who is praying accurately, someone who is
active in serving the Lord, in any capacity.
(585) Does
God Want Us To Love Ourselves? by The Berean Call,
8/3/19 The Bible never tells us to love ourselves. Now in the
second— “the second commandment is like unto it: Love your
neighbor as yourself.” Well, obviously Jesus is not saying,
“Love your neighbor as you inadequately love yourself. You
don’t love yourself very well, but I want you to love your
neighbor like you don’t love yourself well enough.” That’s the
impression you get from the people who are teaching self-love.
We even have seminars—special teaching in the church—on
“you’ve got to love yourself before you can love your neighbor
or you can love God.” But Jesus doesn’t say that. He says,
“Love your neighbor like you already love yourself.” So,
apparently, we don’t have any problem in that department. In
fact, rather than teaching self-love, Jesus is saying, “What
do you do in the morning when you get up? You brush your
teeth, you comb your hair, you feed yourself, you clothe
yourself—give your neighbor some of the attention that you are
already giving to yourself. How about paying a little
attention to your neighbor? Love your neighbor like you
already love yourself.”So, He is not teaching
self-love. He is, in fact, correcting self-love.
(586) What
is Christianity all about? by Mike Oppenheimer,
8/5/19 Do you know what life is about? The years can go by very
quickly as you live life, going through the trials and
hardships that we all face. Life is a gift, Eternal life in
Christ is the greatest gift to mankind. The healthiest person
can die by some unknown natural cause or an accident. No one
knows what tomorrow will bring for them, there are no
guarantees. Many when they get older, more mature turn to a
spiritual life, they understand that their body, this world is
not all there is. They still feel the same youth inside though
their body is wearing out. They search for answers through
philosophy, religion. They turn to humanism to do good. There
are those that teach a positive life attitude is what is
needed for right living. There are numerous teachers of all
types throughout history that have said they have the answer.
Jesus is not like other religious leaders. We are not told to
do good to be accepted. We were not just given a set of rules
to learn and abide by. Too many people, even those who go to
church have this view of him and what he delivered. Jesus said
He came to give us an abundant life, not for things but for
what matters. A fullness to our soul, to be satisfied in life
with what really matters. To be content with little and have a
peace when conflict and trials come. Where we can stay the
course and not be shipwrecked with what life throws at us.
(588) Pieces
of Rare Biblical Manuscript Reunited by Karoun
Demirjian, AP, 8/28/19 Two parts of an ancient biblical manuscript separated across
centuries and continents were reunited for the first time in a
joint display Friday, thanks to an accidental discovery that
is helping illuminate a dark period in the history of the
Hebrew Bible. The 1,300-year-old fragments, which are among
only a handful of Hebrew biblical manuscripts known to have
survived the era in which they were written, existed
separately and with their relationship unknown, until a news
photograph of one's public unveiling in 2007 caught the
attention of the scholars who would eventually link them.
Together, they make up the text of the Song of the Sea, sung
by jubilant Israelites after fleeing slavery in Egypt and
witnessing the destruction of the pharaoh's armies in the Red
Sea.
(589) We
are not righteous like Jesus by Mike Oppenheimer,
9/29/19 2 Cor. 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Cor. 5:21 Him who knew no sin he made (to be) sin on our
behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.”
(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) Being
“in Him” we are seen as if we never sinned. Jesus never sinned
but we do. This point should not be missed as one reads that
he became sin on our behalf; to fulfill all
righteousness. He suffered voluntarily thus we are not
punished (judged) for our sin.
(590) How
Will All Nations Come Against Israel? - A Dave And Tom
Classic by The Berean Call, 9/30/19 Right. Well, when the prophet Zechariah spoke these
words under the inspiration of God, Jerusalem was in ruins,
having been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Now, to say that one
day Jerusalem would be a cup of trembling, isn’t that a little
farfetched? Tom: Well, they couldn’t even rebuild the temple!
I mean, the walls were down, there was nothing going on there.
The people even became apathetic, so this was hardly a threat
to anybody. Dave: Exactly. So he’s saying, “One day…” And when
you go down to verse 3: “In that day I will make Jerusalem a
burdensome stone to all the nations—all the nations of the
world.” So, what God is saying is, “Jerusalem is in ruins, but
let Me tell you something: one day the eyes of the world will
be upon Jerusalem in fear and trembling,” knowing that the
next world war, when it breaks out, it’s going to break out
over Jerusalem. It’s going to be a nuclear holocaust. “You
guys, you’ve got to get busy, and somehow solve the problem of
Jerusalem.” The problem is the nations of the world, the EU,
the UN, and the USA and Russia and so forth, they are
determined to impose their own solution in defiance of what
God has said.
(591) “This
Generation” How does Jesus explain Mt.24:34? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 10/10/19 This teaching is not about the length of a generation but
what this particular generation sees that identifies them as
the generation Jesus is speaking of. How is Mt.24:34 explained
by Jesus? That "this generation will by no means pass away
till all these things take place." One needs to understand the
larger picture before they can put the details together.
(592) Having
Ears to hear by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/19/19 This was a common saying of Jesus. Ears to hear is Jesus
stating for one to listen carefully to the truth so that they
can change their mind and repent to fix the error of their
ways. Matt 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matt
13:8-9 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some
a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to
hear, let him hear!" Luke 8:8 “But others fell on good ground,
sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said
these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him
hear!" Those who have understanding of what they heard are
fruitful, those who do not understand do not have the seed
(the word) take root and the devil rips the seed off in
various stages.
(593) Bad
News and Good News While Waiting for the Bridegroom
by David Dombrowski, 10/22/19 More and more, as I hear news of what is happening in the
world, my only conclusion can be that we must be living in the
last days. And contrary to “replacement theology,” the Jewish
people and the nation of Israel will have a key position in
the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Ironically, fewer and fewer
Christians seem to think that Bible prophecy has anything to
do with the time in which we live. They may say the Book of
Revelation has already been fulfilled (Preterism), or they may
say it is a figurative book (not literal) in which the
grueling events described therein only serve as exhortations
for the church to focus on “unity” and “oneness.”
(594) When
does life begin? by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/1/19 The church should not be ignorant on science and Scripture,
too many today many still believe the baby is not alive until
it breathes outside the womb. Unless life begins before birth,
at conception, then abortion is not the taking of human life.
(595) Poor
Analogies and Illustrations Used to Teach the Trinity Which
May Teach Heresy Instead by Gary Giley, 11/10/19 Without question, the Trinity is one of the most complicated,
mysterious and difficult doctrines for God’s people to
comprehend. The core doctrine of Old Testament Judaism
was monotheism as expressed in the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4:
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” And
while there are scattered references to the three members who
composed the Godhead in the Old Testament, those references
are better understood in the light of New Testament
revelation. We look back now with clarity and recognize
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all are present prior to the
incarnation, but it is doubtful that many Old Testament saints
grasped the idea of a Trinity, at least not with the precision
that Christians do today. So it is not surprising that
when the Patristics attempted to understand and define the
Triune God that there was much confusion and difference of
opinion. When the dust had settled and the creeds, such as
Nicene, Athanasian, and the Apostle were inked, a definition
for the Trinity had been formulated that all true Christians
would accept. A representative definition would be:
“Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally
three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
(596) The
goal of man, Lessons in Basic Christianity by Mike
Oppenheimer, 12/4/19 There is no greater goal or ideal than for man to be in sync
with God, and do His will instead of sinful man's. It is God
that gives us new life by our response of acceptance to his
Gospel. 2 Cor. 5:17 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away” Eph. 2:4-5 “even when
we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved)” We learn that by faith which
he has initiated by his grace we are appointed to do his will,
that God has a plan for our life.
(597) Those
who Deny the Deity of Christ “the only begotten Son”
by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/18/19 There are those who deny the only begotten son, which always
affects the Trinity teaching, affecting the person of Jesus.
Kenneth Copeland who is copied by many says " Jesus is no
longer the only begotten Son of God... Jesus is known as the
first begotten from the dead. If there is a firstborn, then
there has to be a secondborn, a thirdborn, a fourthborn ,
etc." (Copeland: "Now Are We in Christ Jesus", p.24, Kenneth
Copeland Publications, Texas. 1980,) “… he’s no longer called
the only begotten son of God .” No, no, he’s called the
firstborn son of God, the first begotten of many brethren and
we are the fullness of him.” (Kenneth Copeland, guest on Benny
Hinn’s January 28, 2004 broadcast This is Your Day telecast.)
Larry Huch and Paula White discussing Jesus as the high
priest, and that we have a priestly anointing take a hard left
turn as Huch actually says what Copeland teaches “Jesus is not
the only begotten son of God, he is not, I’m a son of God,
White interjects he is the firstfruits (which refers to be
first human to be resurrected to eternal life) Huch he is the
firstfruit, the firstborn of many.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyLPUnXV2_U) Is Jesus no
longer the only begotten son? A term used for him before he
was born. They apparently do not understand what the Bible
says of the Son of God being unique. They demote him to be
like them, adopted sons instead of the Son with the Father.
(598) ",,,to
all people" by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/28/19 Luke 2:10-11the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to
all people.” We are told by John who identifies Jesus more
than any other writer. Jn.1:10-11“He was in the world, and the
world was made through Him, and the world did not know
Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive
Him.” How heartbreaking this must have been, his own people he
trained through the word and feasts days and customs that they
rejected him. He was first announced to the shepherds in the
field by angels and they were prompted by this to seek this
out. Luke 2:11-12 “For there is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
(599) What God wants of you by
Daved Hunt & T.A. McMahon, 1/25/20 In the 18th Century, the hymn
writer Charles Wesley wrote these incredibly wonderful words:
“Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for
me?” That act of love is beyond our ability to fathom, yet it is
even more incomprehensible to understand why anyone would not
want to receive it. In John chapter 15 verse 13, Jesus informs
us of what that act means even for sinful humanity: “Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends” (John:15:13 ). Who would not want to be His
friend for all eternity?
(600) The Crucified Life by
Jacob Prasch, 1/31/20
Some people try to tell us that signs and wonders and miracles
will cause the unsaved to believe. At Passover in Jesus' time,
famous rabbis would come together and debate. At one particular
Passover the rabbi who everybody wanted to see was someone who
could feed thousands of people with a little boy's picnic
basket, who could walk on water, who could heal the sick and
even raise the dead. The people wanted Him to put on a show.
They had a “signs and wonders” gospel. They also wanted somebody
to get rid of the Romans, the way the Maccabees had gotten rid
of the Greeks. They had a “Kingdom Now” gospel. And, if you
understand the Hallel Rabbah from Psalm 113 to 118, which they
sang to Jesus, they were singing "give us prosperity now." They
had a “prosperity” gospel.
(601) The Holy Bible— It's All Importance
at Spiritual Research Network, 2/3/20 This article is transcribed from
the torn frontispiece pages of a very old, well-read, large
print family Bible. Printed in Britain, the Bible’s original
publishing date was previous to 1824 (Hall-End, Halifax). The
paragraph and poem were initially published, over two hundred
years ago, in the Christian Journal and Literary Register (New
York, 1819). This small introductory statement and poem were
initially printed with no separate paragraphs. I have
transcribed them with small spaces between for better
readability.—Chris Lawson
(602) Can You Be Deceived? - Why People
are Duped and How Not to be by G. Richard Fisher,
2/7/20 ‘‘‘Will you walk into my
parlor?’ said a spider to a fly; ‘Tis the prettiest little
parlor that you ever did spy’’’ (Mary Howitt). The inspired
Apostle Paul warned us: ‘‘Let no one deceive you’’ (2
Thessalonians 2:3). It is apparent that we are vulnerable to
deception and we must not forget it. We must be on guard and
protect ourselves against it. There is deception everywhere in
the religious world. We must be alert. Deception can only
deceive if it looks somewhat like the real thing. Apologist
Craig Hawkins explains: ‘‘We must realize that the way to
deceive people with counterfeits is to imitate the genuine
article as closely as possible. For example, if counterfeiters
want to pass off fake one-hundred-dollar bills, they do not
print Donald Duck’s picture on purple paper. Instead they
attempt to duplicate a true
bill. Similarly, despicable persons who try to deceive others
attempt to appear genuine and sincere. They do not walk up to
you and inform you that they are there to
deceive and defraud you. The far more effective method is faking
friendship and fidelity.’’1
(603) Our Adoption is what happened and
will happen by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/12.20 Our adoption into the family of
God begins by our regeneration which comes from believing the
gospel.
(604) Choosing which covenant to live by
by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/28/20 The Covenant of Moses “written
and engraved with stones,” became void when Christ died and the
veil of the temple was rent. The New Covenant replaced the Old.
Only the New Covenant is eternal. Those who go back to be under
the Old Covenant, practicing the law are rejecting all that the
new covenant has to offer. They forfeit grace which only comes
by the new because as Paul said you cannot be under law and
under grace at the same time, one annuls the other.
(605) A time to pay attention to Prophecy
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/4/20 At a time when prophecy needs to
be taught and studied, we have leaders like Rick Warren who says
there is no need, Warren teaches prophecy is a distraction for
the church, and many agree. Thousands of churches follow his
program.
(606) What of those who claim they died
(NDE) and went to heaven and returned by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/8/20 There are numerous stories,
books and movies being produced of those who have visited heaven
because they had died for a short time. Some call these
NDE near death experiences. Many claim to have a story of
meeting God and his giving them a choice to stay or return to
earth with a mission (which is not the gospel but something
else, usually not related to the Bible. This experience is often
based on good people go to heaven at death. Sometimes
descriptions of going to heaven in the Christian vernacular is
not much different from the New Age movement’s practice of
astral travel and their own personal stories of coming to a
bright light and having a conversation. Most return with a new
message and will almost always say Death is not to be feared for
anyone. They speak of beautiful creatures, angels, Satan masks
his lies by beautiful "experiences" to deceive them. From this
experience there whole life changes. Believers in Christ are not
supposed to lie or perpetuate lies, but some do. Either by being
deceived by an experience they cannot explain or seeing an
opportunity to get money by a story they can use. In fact
the days we live in lies of the supernatural certainly outnumber
the truth, so we should expect them. But it becomes offensive
and insulting when one shares an experience that was not true
about the most holy place the Bible calls heaven. The fact is
everyone who claims to have died and gone to heaven should have
their story scrutinized. As Christians we should be suspicious
of someone having such an experience that was exclusive and
unique to the Apostles (Paul and John). Somehow the church has
been convinced that what happened to anyone in the Scripture can
happen to us today. Even one going to heaven. John 1:18 says,
“No one has seen God at any time.” Yet we have stories of people
saying they did and go and describe him and the holy place in
great detail.
(607) The Gospel of Self-Esteem: Are We
Really Better Than We Think? by David M. Tyler,
PFO, 3/10/20 If the advocates of self-esteem
are right, we must change our emphasis from man’s unworthiness
and focus on man’s worthiness and his right to esteem himself.
The Church will need to recognize the tremendous significance
that this teaching will have in the lives of its members. But if
the advocates of self-esteem are wrong, then clearly the
Church’s fascination with self-esteem is heretical. Jesus called
His followers to imitate Him in denying themselves (Matthew
16:24). While not endorsing all of his positions, we agree with
T.B. Maston when he
stated: ‘‘The cross, with all that it symbolizes, permeates and
gives meaning and unity to all the ethical teachings of
Jesus.’’11 Jesus consistently tied together selfdenial and the
cross. The call of God into the Christian life is a call to
self-denial. The cross — self-denial — is the path of every
Christian. The antithesis of the cross is self-love. Therefore,
self-love is classified as a ‘‘different gospel’’ (Galatians
1:6), opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(609) Out of context Christianity
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/14/20 One can only be grounded in
Scripture by reading the Bible chapter by chapter, book by book
and understanding the overall meaning. You cannot understand the
details until the overall meaning is first understood.. Today
few are taught how to read or study devotionally, or
theologically. They are not grounded in the core doctrines of
Christianity which has them become open to being misled. And
this continues to be repeated and compound the already exiting
problem. This next generation will be even more divorced from
sound Bible teaching unless we turn it around. The devil’s
emissaries are about changing Gods word so it is no longer is
the truth, it becomes out of context Christianity.How did we get
here? Read Part
1, Part 2
& Part 3.
(610) A Time of Sorrows by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/23/20 Matthew 24:4-14 And Jesus answered
and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many
will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive
many. ” This is the first of his warnings. We have already seen
many come claiming to be Christ, a Christ, or Have his anointing
in authority. The point he is making is that they are deceiving
people on a massive scale. v.6 “ And you will hear of wars and
rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these
things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” World wars
began early in the 20th century and we have had wars taking place
all over the globe in various sizes. Since World War 2, there have
been over 200 conflicts. V.7 “ For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” Conflict of
nations will become the norm. What Jesus is expressing are
worldwide increases. Famines will be on a scale not seen before.
Earthquakes will be seen in various places it was not before and
will increase in frequency and strength. One thing to note in the
Matthew account is that the word pestilence (diseases, virus’) is
not found in this manuscript, according to the interlinear Bible
it was added. It was probably added because it was recorded by
Luke who was a doctor and would certainly make sure this was
included if this was spoken as he recorded the same account.
(611) Teach me to number my days
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/24/20 Do you know how much time you have
on earth? None of us do. There are no guarantees even for the
healthy. Do you know how your time is being used? You can get an
estimate by calculating how long you sleep and work. From the
beginning after the fall man was able to live to his 900 plus
years (Gen.5). As time went on lifetimes diminished in years
to one hundred thirty, spanning one hundred fifty years as common.
King David wrote in the Bible of the time settled for man by God –
he speaks of us having 75 years possibly 80 years to live our
life. Ps. 90:10-12 “ The days of our lives are seventy years; And
if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is
only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is
Your wrath. So teach us to number our days. That we may gain a
heart of wisdom.” The fear of the Lord is an important component,
not a fear that would have us cringe, but have a healthy respect
for our maker and overseer of our life. Job 12:10 “In whose
hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all
mankind?”
(612) The big question of living again
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/28/20 Sooner or later every human being
has to face, was asked long ago by a man named Job. If a man dies,
will he live again? (Job 14:14). Job from his knowledge of God
proclaimed “ For I know my redeemer lives And He shall stand at
last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And
my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within
me ! (Job 19:25-27) Without the resurrection, Christianity carries
no meaning for humanity—its founder would have been a fraud and a
failure for he said he would rise from the dead on the third day
(numerous times). Furthermore, his followers would have no hope of
the same resurrection. Jesus said he would raise himself. This is
quite an accomplishment if you go out of existence like the world,
Buddhism or Jehovah Witnesses believe. Thus the importance of the
resurrection to Christian faith cannot be underestimated.
(613) The tree and fruit of Psalm 1
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/30/20 The fruit of the Spirit is
multifaceted. Just like trees take time to grow and mature to
produce fruit, it does not come in one season, it takes many
seasons. And this is why God tells us to have patience and
endurance that we can produce fruit unto eternal life. For the
farmer, the fruit of a tree is measured over lifetime of its
production. Fruit is not the same as gifts which are used in
someone’s calling and ministry. Fruit is what every Christian
produces, 30, 60 a 100 fold. We can be meta fruit trees when we
begin to produce. It is the work of the Holy Spirit changing our
nature to be as like Jesus, the Son of God. It depends on our
submission, yielding to Him and our faith to do something that
will be part of that fruit bearing. This is why there are
variables in our fruitfulness. Scripture speaks of the fruit in
the singular because these are all characteristics of the Lord
which the Holy Spirit produces. It is God’s nature working in man
and out from him to others.
Many
shall be purified, and made white, and tried.This
is
the promise for the Lord's coming. It is more than purity. It is
to be made white, lustrous or bright. To be purified is to have
sin burned out; to be made white is to have the glory of the Lord
burned in. The one is cleansing; the other is illumination and
glorification. The Lord has both for us, but in order for us to
have both we must be put into the fire to be tried. We must be led
into difficult and strange places where Christ shall be more to us
because of the very extremity of the situation. We are approaching
these days. indeed, they are already around us, and they are the
precursors of the Lord's coming.
Blesssed is he that . . . keepeth his garments lest he walk
naked(Revelation 16:15).
(615)
A
ride on a donkey by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/6/20
Matt 21:1-9 “ now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to
Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately
you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and
bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall
say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send
them." Luke 19:30 adds you will find a colt tied, on which no one
has ever sat.” “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, saying : Zech. 9:9 is then quoted "Tell
the daughter of Zion,' Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly,
and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.' "So the
disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the
donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on
them.” Most kings ride on white horses into a city as they
conquer, here Jesus comes into the Holy city before all humbly, in
fact more humble than any other man, in a humiliating way, why?
Notice there were two animals, Jesus sat on the colt that was led
by the parent donkey. A colt is a child of the parent, the father.
It was an animal that was never used to serve man yet. Christ rode
into Jerusalem on it, he was separated for this useful purpose.
(616)
April
4 Morning, Morning and Evening by C.H.
Spurgeon, 4/10/20 "For he hath made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him." {#2Co 5:21} Mourning
Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own
corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art
complete in him; thou art in God’s sight as perfect as if thou
hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our
Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that
thou hast more than the righteousness of man—thou hast the
righteousness of God. O thou who art mourning by reason of
inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can
condemn thee. Thou hast learned to hate sin; but thou hast
learned also to know that sin is not thine—it was laid upon
Christ’s head. Thy standing is not in thyself—it is in Christ;
thine acceptance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord; thou art
as much accepted of God today, with all thy sinfulness, as
thou wilt be when thou standest before his throne, free from
all corruption. O, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious
thought, perfection in Christ! For thou art "complete in him."
With thy Saviour’s garment on, thou art holy as the Holy One.
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us." Christian, let thy
heart rejoice, for thou art "accepted in the beloved"—what
hast thou to fear? Let thy face ever wear a smile; live near
thy Master; live in the suburbs of the Celestial City; for
soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt rise up where thy
Jesus sits, and reign at his right hand; and all this because
the divine Lord "was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
(618)
The Disowned by Mike
Ratliff, 4/13/20
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who
is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23
(NASB) The best test of everything is not how it appears
here and now. Unlike those preachers who draw throngs of
people to hear their, “Have your best life now!” sermons,
those with real godly wisdom know that the best tests of
everything is how it will appear in the moment of death, in
the morning of resurrection, and at the day of judgment.
Thankfully, the Word of God does give us the truth about these
things. Let’s take a long slow look at Matthew 7:21-23 where
our Lord lays it out very clearly about people who will find
that what they believed to be true about their eternal state
is nothing more than the product of self-deception.
(619) THE ABSENT CROSS by CETF
Newsletter, Issue 71, 4/10/20 I take, O cross, thy shadow For
my abiding place;I ask no other sunshine than The sunshine of
His face; Content to let the world go by,To know no gain nor
loss, My sinful self my only shame, My glory all the cross.
(620) Sound Doctrine Through It All
by Warren B. Smith, 4/16/20 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I
will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My
doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the
dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers
upon the grass. (Deuteronomy 32:1-2) How precious is the Book
divine, by inspiration given! Bright as a lamp its doctrines
shine, to guide our souls to heaven.—John Fawcett; How Precious
is the Book Divine (1782) It is not very popular these days, but
the Bible tells us to study and to rightly divide the Word of
God: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15)
(621) The Importance of Obedience
by Ligonier Ministries, 4/18/20 “Has the LORD as great delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of
the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of
divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because
you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you
from being king” (vv. 22–23). - 1 Samuel 15:10–35 Human beings
are naturally religious, and part of that religious impulse
involves following religious rituals. In most of the world’s
religions, central importance is placed on the proper following
of ritual while less attention is devoted to right belief.
Orthopraxy—rightly following regulations and rituals—tends to
take precedence over orthodoxy—right beliefs and theology.
Biblical Christianity stands out as the exception. Various
regulations and rituals have been important in church history,
but Christian theology tends to focus more on getting our
beliefs right than on enforcing adherence to a set of religious
rituals. Yet, God’s people have sometimes elevated external
conformity over heart-motivated belief and obedience. King Saul
committed that error when he disobeyed God’s command to
annihilate the Amalekites and their livestock (1 Sam. 15:1–9).
He preserved the Amalekite king, Agag, and several of the best
Amalekite animals. And when Samuel came to confront Saul for his
disobedience, Saul explained that he spared the animals so as to
make the best sacrifice to the Lord (vv. 10–16). Saul was so
focused on the external letter of the law—giving the best animal
for sacrifices—that he violated the Lord’s explicit will for
dealing with the Amalekites. For this blatant disobedience, God
rejected him as Israel’s king, pledging to give the throne to
another (vv. 17–31).
(622) Restoring the Image of God in man
by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/23/20 God’s image in Adam was a moral
image, man’s conscience was alive and he would learn to do what
is right. Each day the Lord would meet Adam and Eve in the
garden later in the day and converse with them. It was their
time of fellowship. That is, until that fateful day when Adam
chose to side with Eve, eat the fruit from the tree they were
told not to. Then hid from the Lord when he came to fellowship
in the afternoon. The Lord knew he and Eve were disobedient,
that they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil
because they hid from him instead of being there to meet him.
Eve was deceived to eat from the tree, but Adam made a choice to
eat with her. From that time forward mankind had a severed
relationship passed on. Their image of God was flawed, marred as
they reproduced in each generation. Man’s conscience could no
longer distinguish what is right from wrong as it was intended.
His limited abilities that were like God were diminished and
more so after every proceeding generation. A man was chosen to
whom a nation would be made. Abraham would be God’s chosen of
whom was told to leave his land and family “ I will make you a
great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you
shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I
will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed ." Gen 12:2- This was done so that
this future nation would be given the moral law that would
distinguish them from all other nations in the world. No longer
did man understand instinctively the ways or things of God, he
had to have it explained.
(623) Humility
in our walk by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/23/20 The Spirit will always have us
yield to what is right, good and true. Humility means one does
NOT think more highly of themselves, they know their strong and
weak points. They are able and willing to receive truth from
another, even if it is correction. God ordained authority is
living by humility, to consider oneself being equal with others
takes a surrendered soul. To humble oneself in the sight of the
Lord God can be difficult and is often a fight against pride
that may be present. It’s our duty to examine ourselves. A
servant is someone who spends time in God’s presence by reading
His Word, praying and willing to minister to others even when it
is uncomfortable. This does not always end in agreement. The
more aware we become of who the Lord is, how holy He is, the
more we become aware of our sins and flaws and our daily
dependence on Him. This trains us in humility, that is when we
understand in a personal way His grace and mercy to us.
(624) The Current Confusion Between what
is false and what is true by Mike Oppenheimer,
4/26/20 In our time lies seem to be
everywhere, in every facet of society. There is an increase of
confusion which exemplifies that we live in a day of increasing
evil. And because of the increasing darkness it can become
harder to distinguish what is right from wrong. It can be
frustrating trying to distinguish or explain matters of
importance. We should be able to explain why someone is wrong
about something without berating them calling them names to
humiliate their intelligence, education, spirituality or
reputation. This shows someone is immature and is unable to walk
away from a disagreement and not turn it into a feud. We are
told Col 4:5-6 “ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,
redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace,
seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer
each one.” Wisdom is applying knowledge which must come first.
Prov. 2:10 “ When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is
pleasant to your soul ” Prov. 3:13 “ Happy is the man who finds
wisdom, and the man who gains understanding ” Wisdom is
peaceable not antagonistic. It may offend some by speaking what
is true, as James 3:13-18 tells us, “ Who is wise and
understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his
works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter
envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie
against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but
is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking
exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
(625) Are you being taken for a ride?
by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/1/20 Being chauffeured is not the
same as being taken for a ride. The prophecy extremists are hard
at work, they want you to think we are either in the
tribulation, that the rider on the white horse is now taking
place or the mark of the beast has begun or is about to begin.
None of these are taking place. The mark is a number of a man,
he is the world president (a dictator) and he is the one that
issues the mark, in the middle of the tribulation (Rev.13). The
mark of the Beast, the number is a numerical value of this man’s
name. The number is the same for everyone, so what is taking
place by chips or codes is not it. We do not have an established
new world order which must come first (and takes time to
develop), nor do we have the person that is the Son of
Perdition, the Antichrist in power. So there is no way for this
to be taking place now. For the Tribulation to begin Jesus must
unseal the 7 seals and the riders commence one after
another. It will be quite noticeable. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(626) Was man first made androgynous? by
Mike Oppenheimer, 5/13/20 The Hebrew word baanaah from the
side of the man God builds the female, through whom the human
race is to be built up by the male. Gen 1:27-28 “He created
them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them” “The
distinction drawn between ‘otow (OT:853) (in the image of God
created He him) and ‘otaam (OT:853) (as man and woman created He
them) must not be overlooked. The word ‘otaam (OT:853), which
indicates that God created the man and woman as two human
beings, completely overthrows the idea that man was at first
androgynous” (cf. Gen 2:18ff.). (from Keil & Delitzsch
Commentary) Adam was created mature in mind and body and he was
made with age, as was all of creation. How did Adam become a
human being? Gen.2:7 The Hebrew is nephesh chayah means a living
being. Nephesh does not mean a soul, as in a separate entity.
The man that was formed from the ground became a breathing
creature, having a life of its own. Because of the breath
breathed into him, he became alive. He had a unique personality
all his own. Man then was made of two distinct parts, physical
and non- material, substantially made a tri-part being
consisting of spirit, soul and body. Adam became a creature by
his natural body and his spiritual nature. The image of God was
directly given to man by the breath of God that gave him life,
spiritual life. Gen. 2:7 “ And breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life”-literally, lives in Hebrew. Adam was endowed
with the property of continuing life, his nature passed to his
offspring. God made a woman from Adams side for this to occur.
(627) The
consequences of the Lack of expository preaching by
Mike Oppenheimer, 5/15/20 Many stand behind the pulpit
that should not be there. So many teach extra biblical nonsense,
stories that are not focused on the Bible, but their
experiences, usually made up. Either they were not called, or if
they were called to ministry they did not allow the time for
training and education. Jesus picked regular men who had enough
Bible knowledge of Judaism and personally trained them for 3
years. They were not Pharisees who memorized all these extra
laws invented by man, so they were eager to learn the truth.
Later when they were given the Holy Spirit to empower them for
their mission, Jesus sent them out - to preach, evangelize and
disciple. Preach the word Paul told young Timothy. Yet today we
hear people give a Scripture and they launch into various
stories that may or may not have anything to do with the
Scripture or be true. Going through the Bible systematically
teaches us the character of God. It helps understand completely
what the writer meant in his book. We are to use the Bible as
the authority - which takes the emphasis off man, off of self.
The Scripture has less of a tendency to be manipulated when the
basis of our preaching is founded in the Scripture, book by
book. Hearing the word preached preserves us from sins
influence, it changes our affections from being attracted to sin
and the world, to instead be obeying God. When the Gospel in the
Church is not accurately taught or explained, people end up not
understanding the message of sin, repentance and their response
which brings them to saving faith. This affects their daily walk
with the Lord. So the answer is to get back to the basics and
really know them as our foundation to build upon. Once a church
gets a certain size and popular, the danger is things become
automatic, and they become very busy to keep it going. And
that’s when we can stop paying attention.
(628) The
necessary work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life
by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/17/20 Romans 5:5 “the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given
to us.” That love is the same Jesus had for the people, it is to
do the will of God and focus on serving the people. Without the
Holy Spirit’s work the gospel is not understood “For our gospel
did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Spirit and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) The
Gospel preached and being accepted depends on the Holy Spirit
working to enlighten a person “the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit” (1 Peter 1:12) You cannot have the confession of Romans
10 without the Holy Spirit at work. No one can say that Jesus is
Lord except by the Holy Spirit (meaning God has come in the
flesh 2 Cor. 5:19).
(629) God gave Man a Woman, or Women?: On
the subject of polygamy by Mike Oppenheimer,
5/19/20 How many wives did Adam have? In
Gen.2:24 it says One. God took from his side to make one woman,
he did not take two wives out from his side. Jesus in Mt.19
refers to this about marriage. In Gen. 2:18 “And the LORD God
said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make
him a helpmate for him .” This is singular. V. 22 relates the
creation of Eve, again showing that there was to be just one
woman for each man. Jesus taught Mark 10:6-8 " But from the
beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'' For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, 'and the two shall become one flesh'; so
then they are no longer two, but one flesh .” God always spoke
of man's “wife,” as singular, not wives. Notice it also states
one father one mother (Gen. 2:18, 22-23; Matt. 19:5-6; Eph.
5:31; I Cor. 7:2; Deut.17:17; I Tim.3:2, 12). God-established
one woman for one man, this was to be the order for the human
race throughout time (Gen. 4:1). Gen 3:20 And Adam called his
wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living .”
This was the first family of mankind. Adam was faithful to one
wife his whole life. It wasn’t until man sinned, became fallen
(Gen. 4:23) that polygamy occurred. This came from Lamech, a
descendent of Cain. He is the first to practice polygamy, being
the first to break God’s law of one man and one wife? The first
time a polygamous relationship is found in the Bible is in a
thriving rebellious society of sin; when a murderer named
“Lamech [a descendant of Cain] took for himself two wives”
(Gen.4:19, 23) Adah and Zillah. Polygamy was never a command of
God, it was allowed as divorce was allowed (Mt.19:8).
(630) The Triune God of Scripture
by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/22/20 According to oneness Jesus is
God because He is the Father, but if he is the Son he is not
God. As the Son a man, the son of man. But at the same time
Oneness teaches that there is no triunity, that The Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit are ALL manifestations (offices) of the
one God. So then how can the Farther be God and the Son is not?
How can the Father be eternal and the Son not eternal? So they
have an immediate contradiction in their belief system. The fact
that the Bible makes the point that the Son was with the Father
before the world began does solidify the Trinitarian position
but does not satisfy Oneness with answers. One cannot be with
another unless they exist (not as a thought in the mind, that is
not with another). And the fact that the Bible teaches that God
was there by himself before anything was created (Jn.17:5) does
assert that the Son must be God if he co-existed with the Father
before the world was made. For the world was the first physical
thing made. Numerous other passages also uphold this teaching,
such as when it tells where the Son of God would be born Micah
5:2 " But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me
the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of
old, from everlasting ." God is speaking (the Me) who is calling
forth another who is from eternity.
(631) “Charge That to My Account” – True
Freedom to the Captive and Downtrodden by Harry
Ironside (1876-1951) None other could have met the
claims of God’s holiness against the sinner and have come out
triumphant at last. He alone could atone for sin. Because He has
settled every claim, God has raised Him from the dead, and
seated Him at His own right hand in highest glory. Have you
trusted “the stranger’s Surety”? If not, turn to Him now while
grace is free.
(632) “Awaiting Our Rescue” by
Jackie Alnor, 6/9/20 “Be wise as serpents and
innocent as doves.” I think this applies to our day and age as
we await the Bridegroom’s rescue. I was asked the other day if I
believe in the pre-trib rapture. I responded that it is my
greatest hope, but I’ve never been dogmatic about it. Perhaps
that’s because I was weaned as a new believer on Chuck Smith and
Walter Martin whose Bible studies I frequented in my first
decade as a believer. Chuck was dogmatically pre and Walter just
as post. The preemies jokingly referred to their post friends as
“Post-Toasties” and the posties called them “Escapists.” I
learned their biblical arguments and all the ones in-between.
All base their understanding on several passages, not just one.
But we loved one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and
did NOT divide over the topic.
(633) The Message “Bible” erases
Salvation in Romans passage by The Word Like Fire,
6/17/20 For whosover shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved. (KJV) for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON
THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (NASB) Here is The Message
version of Romans 10:13: “Everyone who calls ‘help God!’ gets
help.” (The Message) There is a vast difference between being
helped and being saved. The Message “Bible” strikes again.
(635) Broken Vessels for Christ
by H.A. Ironside, 7/31/20 Always bearing about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway
delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians
4:10,11) This fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians is the apostle
Paul’s statement of power for ministry. He shows us in
these stirring verses that God is not looking for brilliant men,
is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of
talented men in sending His Gospel out in the world. God is
looking for broken men, for men who have judged themselves in
the light of the Cross of Christ. When He wants anything done,
He takes up men who have come to an end of themselves, and
whose trust and confidence is not in themselves but in God.
(636) God has no favorites by
Mike Oppenheimer, 8/23/20 This may be true but he does
approve of people that seek His counsel and ways -- that are
walking in His Spirit. There are those that He gives power to
because they want what God wants. So in this sense He may not
have favorites but he does give more to those who want to do His
will. God does not necessarily have to use the word favorite to
express this sentiment. There are those whom God calls beloved
whom He places hand upon, and gives the power of His Spirit for
a particular task so that they may be equipped to accomplish it,
because of obedience prior, they have grace for obedience today.
Even Jesus showed us the need to obey “though He was a Son, yet
He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having
been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all
who obey Him”
(637) The principle of return- Humble
yourself - pray - seek the Lord - Repent by Mike
Oppenheimer, 8/26/20 2 Chron. 7:14: " if My people
who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear
from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land .”
This scripture has been used so often you would think it’s the
churches national anthem. “My People” was a common phrase for
Israel in the Old Testament, this is a specific promise to
Israel, not to the Church under the Old covenant. Only Israel
was a theocracy, the Church is not the nation of Israel and we
are under a different covenant. They, Israel were under a
conditional covenant; if they would obey, God would do what He
promised, if they did not obey he would punish as he also
promised. God has given us a glimpse of what is in the heart of
man unless he is ruled by God. He gave a country an opportunity
unlike any other country. America is not a theocracy like Israel
but an experiment in freedom, as they implement Judeo Christian
principles in governing. America was originally created to
worship God without a state religion controlling them, now we
have secular humanism competing. We now see those who are
opposed to God in open rebellion trying to bring chaos and ruin
to peoples lives.
(638) Dead to Sin and Perfect in Love
by H.A. Ironside, 8/27/20 And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:16-17) WHAT
is it to be dead with Christ, dead to sin, and to the rudiments
of the world? Upon the answer to this question hangs the truth
or error of the “perfectionist system.”
(639) Is your church changing?
by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/12/20 Change can be good, or, it can
be bad. It’s becomes bad when your church has done things
biblically and now is open to doing things other ways, using
models of expansion from other church programs or bringing in
certain men whose modus operandi is to produce a revival that
are of the Latter Rain, then it has become not good. The fact is
there are so many changes introduced to churches in our day it’s
hard to know where to begin to list them. There are so many
non-biblical practices that have become ingrained in churches.
The most important need of the hour is to know the Word in its
truth, and this comes by discernment. But this is also the most
attacked and belittled activity from those who want to bring the
wrong changes.
(640) By grace or… not by Grace
by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/13/20 It amazes me to hear Christians
defend their works and obedience as part of their receiving
salvation. The Bible makes it explicit, in no uncertain terms if
one is relying on their works, they are condemned. Their works
will then measure their punishment, you cannot be given
salvation by anything you do, only be believing in what Christ
did for you.
(641) I can’t be deceived because I’m a
Christian! by Mike Oppenheimer, 9/16/20
The Bible speaks of a certain time at the end of the age where
deceivers will become commonplace and there will be so much
confusion that truth will become rare, few will speak it because
few know it. Matt 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said to them:
"Take heed that no one deceives you."For many will come in My
name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.” Jesus
spoke several times in his discourse on deception. To those who
believe. Luke 21:8 And He said: "Take heed that you not be
deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and,
'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them . The
word he is not in the original translation. So we have Jesus
warning of men saying they are Christ (or christed- anointed)
and men saying “I am”, saying they are God (i.e. we find this
among the new age and word faith teachers). There is no question
this is taking place.
(642) “Awaiting Our Rescue” by
Jackie Alnor, 9/22/20 I think this applies to our day
and age as we await the Bridegroom’s rescue. I was asked the
other day if I believe in the pre-trib rapture. I responded that
it is my greatest hope, but I’ve never been dogmatic about it.
Perhaps that’s because I was weaned as a new believer on Chuck
Smith and Walter Martin whose Bible studies I frequented in my
first decade as a believer. Chuck was dogmatically pre and
Walter just as post. The preemies jokingly referred to their
post friends as “Post-Toasties” and the posties called them
“Escapists.” I learned their biblical arguments and all the ones
in-between. All base their understanding on several passages,
not just one. But we loved one another as brothers and sisters
in Christ and did NOT divide over the topic.
(643) How
well will the church survive this end-time turmoil?
by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/2/20 The great rebellion is upon us,
we see this in both the world and in the church. If we are in
the middle of an apostasy, “the great apostasy” as many of us
believe. The only ones that survive are those who adhere to the
word, who love the truth (2 Thess.2). These are called the
remnant. So who are the remnant? Those who hold to word of God
and try to live by it through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s
not about how successful they do this but it is a matter of
their heart, their willingness to press forward and resist the
spirit of deception that is gaining strength in the world. The
term is used profusely in the Old Testament. We are also told
that at this time the love of many will grow cold. It’s many,
not all. We see this taking place in every facet where people no
longer have care for each other. They don’t listen to another
person’s views, what they are going through, they have their
minds made up before you say a word (this is especially seen in
politics, a religion unto itself). Respect is gone as Paul wrote
in his list in 2 Tim 3 of what will be lacking or change. Love
also contains within it doing good. That takes effort, doing sin
and evil take no effort, it comes naturally to man.
(644) Ironside:
Some Difficulties That Hinder Full Assurance of Salvation
at Lighthouse Trails, 10/13/20 It is now my purpose to consider some of the difficulties and
perplexities which keep souls from entering into peace and
enjoying the full assurance of salvation. The following
questions and objections are some that have come to me again and
again from earnest seekers after light, and are therefore, I
have good reason to believe, fairly representative of the
troublesome thoughts that hinder many from seeing the simplicity
of God’s way of life as set forth in His holy Word. Perhaps if
my reader has not a settled rest of heart and conscience, he may
find his own peculiar trouble dealt with here.
(645) Biblical
Discernment in Christian Literature by Gary Gilley,
11/1/20 These men understood as we must today, that the “faith once for
all delivered to the saints” is worth defending. We must
not allow the objections of those who lack the courage or the
insight to fight for truth to cause us to cower from this
important God-given obligation.
(647) Watch
out for the animals and Beasts of Scripture by Mike
Oppenheimer, 11/6/20 Throughout Scripture people are represented in different ways,
sometimes as trees or branches that bear fruit, other times as
animals’ beasts. In Genesis the word beasts are used for species
of creatures God made, later they are divided into being clean
and unclean. There are Wild beasts and domesticated beasts, wild
beasts are mostly identified as beasts of prey (2 Kings 14:9; 1
Sam. 17:34–35; Job 39:15; Ps. 80:13; Hos. 13:8) A wild beast is
a symbol of tyrannical rulers. EX: The four beasts in Dan. 7:3,
17, 23, represent four kingdoms (Ezek. 34:28; Jer. 12:9).
Numerous time they are used symbolically to represent man, or an
animalistic nature.
(648) The
Menace Of The Religious Movie by A.W.Tozer (1897-1963) When God gave to Moses the blueprint of the Tabernacle He was
careful to include every detail; then, lest Moses should get the
notion that he could improve on the original plan, God warned
him solemnly, "And look that thou make them after their pattern,
which was shown thee in the mount." God, not Moses, was the
architect. To decide the plan was the prerogative of the Deity.
No one dare alter it so much as a hairbreadth. The New Testament
Church also is built after a pattern. Not the doctrines only but
the methods are divinely given. The doctrines are expressly
stated in so many words. Some of the methods followed by the
early New Testament Church had been given by direct command;
others were used by God's specific approval, having obviously
been commanded the apostles by the Spirit. The point is that
when the New Testament canon was closed the blueprint for the
age was complete. God has added nothing since that time. From
God's revealed plan we depart at our peril. Every departure has
two consequences, the immediate and the remote. The immediate
touches the individual and those close to him; the remote
extends into the future to unknown times, and may expand so far
as to influence for evil the whole Church of God on earth. The
temptation to introduce "new" things into the work of God has
always been too strong for some people to resist. The Church has
suffered untold injury at the hands of well intentioned but
misguided persons who have felt that they know more about
running God's work than Christ and His apostles did. A solid
train of box cars would not suffice to haul away the religious
rubbish which has been brought into the service of the Church
with the hope of improving on the original pattern. These things
have been, one and all, positive hindrances to the progress of
the Truth, and have so altered the divinely-planned structure
that the apostles, were they to return to earth today, would
scarcely recognize the misshapen thing which has resulted. Our
Lord while on earth cleansed the Temple, and periodic cleansings
have been necessary in the Church of God throughout the
centuries. Every generation is sure to have its ambitious
amateur to come up with some shiny gadget which he proceeds to
urge upon the priests before the altar. That the Scriptures do
not justify its existence does not seem to bother him at all. It
is brought in anyway and presented in the very name of
Orthodoxy. Soon it is identified in the minds of the Christian
public with all that is good and holy. Then, of course, to
attack the gadget is to attack the Truth itself. This is an old
familiar technique so often and so long practiced by the
devotees of error that I marvel how the children of God can be
taken in by it. We of the evangelical faith are in the rather
awkward position of criticizing Roman Catholicism for its
weight of unscriptural impedimenta and at the same time
tolerating in our own churches a world of religious fribble as
bad as holy water or the elevated host. Heresy of method may be
as deadly as heresy of message. Old-line Protestantism has long
ago been smothered to death by extra-scriptural rubbish. Unless
we of the gospel churches wake up soon we shall most surely die
by the same means. Within the last few years a new method has
been invented for imparting spiritual knowledge; or, to be more
accurate, it is not new at all, but is an adaptation of a gadget
of some years standing, one which by its origin and background
belongs not to the Church but to the world. Some within the fold
of the Church have thrown their mantle over it, have "blessed it
with a text" and are now trying to show that it is the very gift
of God for our day. But, however eloquent the sales talk, it is
an unauthorized addition nevertheless, and was never a part of
the pattern shown us on the mount. I refer, of course, to the
religious movie.
(649) How
Should We Deal With Apostates? by Mike Ratliff,
11/15/20 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about
our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you
appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was
once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons
have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked
out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of
our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord,
Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4 (NASB) Carefully read the passage
above my brethren. The writer of the Epistle of Jude is the
brother of James, the well-known leader of the Jerusalem church
(Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21;18; Galatians 2:9) and, therefore, the
half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ…. In v3 we read that Jude
had intended to write a letter on salvation as the common
blessing enjoyed by all true believers. This intent was probably
to emphasize unity and fellowship among believers as he reminded
them that God is no respecter of persons, however, his plans
were changed. He doesn’t say why he “found it necessary” to
write something else, but what we have in this letter is
actually a call to battle for the truth in light of the
appearance and infiltration into the Church of apostate
teachers.
(650) What
are the seven woes of Matthew 23? by GotQuestions.org,
11/16/20 The seven woes of Matthew 23 were dire warnings to the
religious leaders of Jesus’ day. But they also serve to warn us
against religious hypocrisy today. We are called to true
godliness, sincere love, and enduring faith. Pretension,
affectation, and hypocrisy will only lead to woe.
(651) The
Words That Keeps Believers From Stumbling by Mike
Ratliff, 11/25/20 Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῆτε. John 16:1 (NA28) 1
“These things I have spoken to you that you not be caused to
stumble.” John 16:1 ( translated from the NA28 Greek text) In
our post, The True Vine, we looked at John 15. When our Lord
spoke of the “things” He spoke of in order that believers “not
be caused to stumble,” He was referring to John 15:18-25, which
is the fact that those who are truly in Christ will be hated by
the world just as our Lord was. Our Lord made it an imperative
that we understand that this is true, but also that we do not
have to contend with this alone. In John 15:26-27, the promise
of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, is given again. Those who have
the Holy Spirit are genuine believers and they bear witness
about Christ because that is what the Holy Spirit does.
(652) Hell
needs “reframing” says The Bible Project co-founder by
The Word Like Fire, 11/29/20 What hell is and how it fits into the story of the Bible is
itself complex and needs a lot of reframing from our modern
distortions of it. –Tim Mackie, Heaven and Earth Q&R
Transcript And if you’re familiar with the story, how it works,
hell–or evil or sin, the various names it’s called in the
Bible–is something that humans have created by our decision to
seize autonomy from God. (Tim Mackie, 32:01 in video below) Open
your Bible. Did humans really create hell? (Matthew 25:41) Open
your Bible. Is hell really a synonym for evil or sin? “Hell” is
seemingly used in this manner numerous times throughout the
sermon. How many new or young Christians have been confused or
affected by this? More than 425,000 people have now watched the
Compelled: Speaking and Living the Gospel video. Tim Mackie is
co-founder of The Bible Project, an organization that produces
numerous videos on biblical topics and figures. Many churches
have gratefully used this free resource. Below you can read (or
view if you wish) every reference to hell throughout Mackie’s
sermon. He states that God didn’t make hell; that hell is a
human creation; that hell isn’t just in the afterlife but exists
here and now; and that God wants to remove the hell from the
earth and from us. He states that through Jesus we can be hell
free in the here and now as well as in the future.
(653) Justified
by Faith by Mike Ratcliff, 12/12/20 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to
faith; as it is written, “ BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY
FAITH.” Romans 1:17 (NASB) The Protestant Reformation was
used by God to restore the lost doctrine of Justification by
Faith. Also, all of the reformers were adamant that the Bible be
available to all people in a language they could read and
understand. The Roman Catholic Church of that era was apostate
and taught a corrupt gospel based on works. The Bible was kept
locked up and away from non-scholars. It was always read
verbally to the people in Latin, which few understood. As the
Bible was translated from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into
German, English, French, etc. the doctrine of Justification by
Faith became central. Why would our enemy and his seed seek to
bury this doctrine within religion?
(654) Faith
Under Fire: Are You Growing in It or Fleeing From It?
by Cedric H Fisher, 12/14/20 God’s Word gives us examples of faith in the fire, faith in the
flood, faith when outnumbered by the enemy, faith when facing an
indomitable foe, faith in prison, faith during torture, faith
when destitute, hungry, and thirsty, faith on stormy seas, faith
to lose everything and faith to receive it all back again, faith
to procreate though infertile, and faith to die. Every instance
of faith thus described is manifested in adversity or great
need. To find examples in Scripture of faith operating in a
peaceful and bountiful climate would be a difficult task. I’m
not sure there are any at all.
(655) Does
The Bible Actually Teach That We’re Not To Judge Others?
by Marsha West, 12/18/20 In the work I do I often name names. When I expose a false
teacher, invariably someone will call me judgmental. When that
happens it is always best to respond with Scripture: “The
spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged
by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to
instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” Some
professing Christians become infuriated when those of us in a
discernment ministry has the chutzpah to report on a false
teacher by name, as if naming names is unbiblical.
High-profile leaders and bloggers who mention heretics by name
are often accused of demonizing or judging them.
Invariably someone will cite Matthew 18:15-17.
(656) The
Lion and The Lamb by Christian Research Network,
12/20/20 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy
to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders
said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the
tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open
the book and its seven seals.” 6 And I saw between the throne
(with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing,
as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 5:4-8 (NASB) Read verses 7&8 on the
site. What is referred to as “the Church” and
“Christianity” in our time sometimes makes me very angry. Why?
It is all about something or someone other than our Lord Jesus
Christ. Whatever religion they are about, it isn’t Biblical
Christianity…. They don’t even seem to know who Jesus is or what
His Advent, ministry, Death on the Cross, and Resurrection were
all about. Instead, they have come up with all forms of
religiosity (idolatry) and have even made it about social issues
like social justice. No, sorry, none of that is why my Lord
Jesus Christ is who is and why He did what did and will come
again to make everything right.
(658) WEA
head: Biblical illiteracy 'utmost problem' facing global
evangelicalismat The Christian Post, 1/1/21 The biggest crisis facing the evangelical, global church today
is the growing lack of biblical literacy worldwide, according to
Thomas Schirrmacher, the newly elected secretary-general of the
World Evangelical Alliance. “Our biggest problem is that Bible
knowledge is fading away,” Schirrmacher told The Christian Post.
“This is the utmost problem we have beyond all theological
differences, financial problems, and political questions."
(659) Why
Your Church Should Practice Church Discipline by Jesse
Randolph, For The Gospel, 1/3/21 “Church discipline, then, is essential because the Lord
commands it. Jesus Christ has declared church discipline to be
essential, and churches must treat the process accordingly by
committing themselves (and training their people) to follow the
steps mentioned above.” One of the more-frequently
misapplied passages of Scripture is Matthew 18:20, where the
Lord Jesus is recorded as saying: “For where two or three have
gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Whether this
verse is thrown around at a men’s prayer breakfast, a church
potluck, or a small group conversation in a living room, the
subtle suggestion is that Jesus is not going to bother to show
up when one of His followers is flying solo. The transcendent
and immanent King of Kings somehow needs at least two Christians
gathered—and perhaps three—before He can make His way into their
midst.
(660) The
difference of what is positional and what is practical
by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/5/21 The Lord often speaks of the believer in terms that are present
yet are still to be accomplished. God sees the end from the
beginning and does not see time in a linear fashion and it is
sometimes expressed this way. We can say we are now without sin
in a judicial sense because we are in Christ, God has pronounced
us not guilty and will not judge us as He will judge the world
for their sin. But to say we are sinless in a practical sense of
everyday living in a fallen world shows a self deception, of
being unaware of our unperfected state as creatures. We are
justified but we are still being sanctified. If we did not need
to be sanctified we would be in the last stage, the conclusion
of the lifelong process - glorification, where we are made
sinless, immortal in the body now. We are both Justified (a one
time event) and sanctification (a life long process) begins with
our justification, it is a daily conforms us to Christ’s
likeness (moral likeness). This means we still sin and the Holy
Spirit has work to do in us.
(661) God’s
Word Declares the Importance of Being Watchful and Discerning
by Warren B. Smith, 1/9/21 Without a watchful and discerning heart, we are too easily
deceived by a crafty adversary. While we rejoice, praise God,
give thanks, and remain hopeful through it all, we must be alert
to the deception that is all around us. Jesus said—“Take heed
that no man deceive you.” Be watchful. Be discerning. Keep
looking up. Keep pressing on.
(662) Paul
and Silas in Philippi by Mike Ratliff, 1/12/21 11 And having set sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to
Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis 12 and from there to
Philippi, which is a prominent city of the District of
Macedonia, a colony, and we stayed in this city some days. Acts
16:11-12 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) As you
know, Paul’s friend and companion Luke wrote the book of Acts in
the New Testament. In Acts 16:10, we read that after Paul and
seen the vision to leave Asia and come to Europe after seeking
the will of God for next focus of his missionary journey, Luke
includes himself in the narrative as an eyewitness, therefore,
his account of what happened to Paul and Silas in Philippi are
given as one who was there. In the passage above, Troas was a
major Aegean port 14 miles south of ancient Troy and the primary
Asian harbor for ships bound for Macedonia. Samothrace was an
island on the direct route between Troas and Neapolis, the port
for Philippi, which lay 8.5 miles inland. Philippi was a Roman
colony, which means that is held the most privileged status for
provincial cities.
(663) World
by Mike Ratliff, 1/15/21 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is
the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4
(NASB) Depending upon a given context, world (κόσμος
(kosmos)) can mean several things: earth, human race, et cetera.
In some 188 occurrences, however, it usually speaks of the
“world system” or “world order,” that is, the values, pleasures,
inclinations, philosophies, goals, drives, purposes, attitudes,
and actions of society. This system is totally man-centered and
is quite vivid in the humanistic and relativistic society of
today. Think about this contrast: Jesus’ words were “Father, if
You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but
Yours be done. ”However, man’s words are, “Not your will, but
mine be done!” As Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it, “They think as the
world thinks. They take their opinions ready-made from their
favorite newspaper. Their very appearance is controlled by the
world and its changing fashion.”
(664) Do
Not Give Up by Mike Ratliff, 1/18/21 12 in whom we have the boldness and access in confidence
through our faith in Him. 13 Therefore, I ask you not to give up
over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory Ephesians
3:12-13 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) In this post let
us look at an important word from Ephesians 13 which many Bible
translations render as ‘faint,’ ‘discouraged, ‘ or ‘lose heart.’
The words “not to give up” above translate μὴ ἐγκακεῖν. Μη (mē)
expresses absolute denial. Paul is expressing his desire to the
Ephesians that they DO NOT do something…. That something is
ἐγκακεῖν that is the Present tense, Infinitive mood, Active
voice form of ἐκκακέω (ekkakeō), which literally means, “to turn
out to be a coward, to lose one’s courage, to faint or despond
in view of trial or to be utterly spiritless.” So perhaps my
translation of “do not give up” seems insufficient in light of
this, but what we must see is that the verb structure Paul used
here is speaking of a way of life not a one-time action. This
sort of encouragement would make no sense in the theology of
most of those who preach Your Best Life Now or Name It and Claim
It or Health, Wealth, and Prosperity as the focus of
Christianity. However, anyone with any depth to their Biblical
knowledge knows that those are heresies and not Biblically sound
at all. Instead, what we learn is that the true Christian will
be persecuted in this world because he or she will not be of the
World. He or she will be in the World, but not be of the World.
The World loves it own and hates the real Gospel because it
condemns all that are of the World and not of Christ. You see,
no one can be of both. Therefore, Paul is telling us that we can
be persecuted. He wrote this letter to the Ephesians from
prison. Paul is challenging all of us to not faint, not to sink
into despondency not to become so dispirited and cowardly that
we just quit.
(665) What
is an Almost Christian? by Mike Ratliff, 1/24/21 16 They profess to know God, but by their works, they deny Him,
being detestable and as to every good work, unfit. Titus 1:16
(translated from the NA28 Greek text) In Puritan Matthew Mead’s
The Almost Christian Discovered we find the very definition for
what is plaguing the visible church in the 21st Century.
If Pastor Mead was alive today preaching as he did in the 17th
Century, he would be quite controversial, but isn’t that what we
who are called of God to stand for His truth in the lost and
dying world supposed to do?… In our time we lament what cheap
grace and easy-believism and post-modernism have done to our
churches’ ecclesiology, watering down the Gospel and doing away
with rightly dividing the Word of Truth while turning the what
should the weekly gathering of the local church into some sort
of sales promotion or entertainment event. Those terms would be
unknown to Pastor Mead, but he would have been quite familiar
with one coined by Martin Luther, antinomianism. This describes
those who desired to be called Christian, with all of its
benefits, but shunned all of its obligations.
(666) Ironside:
What Does It Mean to Be Justified Before God? by Harry
Ironside, 1/25/21 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through
this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by
him all that believe are justified from all things, from which
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38-39)
Justification! It is a big word, and very often people miss its
true meaning. What is it to be justified? It is to be cleared of
all blame, to be freed from every charge. It is the sentence of
the court in favor of the prisoner. The prisoner stands there,
charged with certain things; the evidence is all heard, and the
jury brings in a verdict of “Not guilty.” The man is justified.
(667) Waking
Up the Church by Ken Ham, 1/27/21 When you look at what is happening in the culture, I believe we
see God’s hand of judgment (Romans 1). But I also believe we are
seeing God’s hand of judgment and warning on the church. (For
instance, is the church really taking notice of what the
COVID-19 situation has resulted in?) Now don’t get me wrong,
there are some great Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches in
America. There are thousands of churches and some Christian
institutions that use AiG resources and support our ministry.
But they are nonetheless a minority compared to the rest. So, I
trust you all understand why in 2021 we are going to increase an
emphasis we’ve always had—and that is to challenge and equip the
church. Our 2021 theme will be “Waking up the church.” Yes, the
church in America (and the whole Western world) needs to wake up
from its lukewarm position, repent of compromise and lack of
teaching before a Holy God, diligently teach all generations to
be “understanding of the times” (like the men of Issachar in 1
Chronicles 12:32), be equipped to impact the culture for the
Lord Jesus Christ (be real salt and light), and raise up godly
generations.
(668) Resisting
evil, self defense and war by Mike Oppenheimer,
2/15/21 Solomon wrote “To everything there is a season, A time for
every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to
die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A
time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a
time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to
mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a
time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain
from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to
keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to
sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to
love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.”
We in America and throughout the world are now in a time of WAR.
Does the Bible forbid or encourage us to defend ourselves, or to
go to war against an enemy? This is one of the more
controversial and difficult subjects to settle as Christians. I
know that none of us will agree on all aspects of this subject
but there is much to consider. Are we allowed to defend
ourselves and family against attackers or enemies? The Old
Testament teaches that it is right to use force in order to
restrain evil and wickedness in the world. It is also allowable
to defend a nation and ones family. When we come to the New
Testament it is not as clear. What is clear is that the Bible
does not teach pacifism, we have numerous examples to defend
ourselves against evil-- personally, and for others.
(669) Spiritual
Adultery by Mike Ratliff, 2/23/21 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the
world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a
friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4
(NASB) Worship is that vital part of the relationship
between God and His people that we see so often corrupted and
wrongly focused in our time to the point that the end result is
that even if people believe they are “worshiping” God they are
actually guilty of spiritual adultery. The division line between
what true worship is, that which glorifies and pleases God, and
that which is no more than spiritual adultery is actually very
easily drawn…. Those on the side that is “friends of the world”
and are, therefore, making themselves enemies of God, are part
of “systems” whose values, loves, and deeds are wholly at odds
with what pleases God (1 John 2:15-17). Carefully read James 4:4
(above). Those whom James was accusing were betraying Christ and
following after the world by embracing the worldly way of
treating people because they were being motivated by the things
of this world in this rather than the mandates of Christ. One
way that “churches” do this in our day is to seek to meet
people’s felt needs first rather than preaching the truth of the
Gospel. In these churches, the focus becomes all about the
people in “worship” instead of about God and His glory. How can
that be called “worship?”
(670) Three
Vital Questions to Navigating Discernment by Harry A.
Ironside, 2/27/21 Objection is often raised—even by some sound in the
faith—regarding the exposure of error as being entirely negative
and of no real edification. Of late, the hue and cry has been
against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who
assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New
Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and
the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character
of ministry—namely, showing the Satanic origin and, therefore,
the unsettling results of the propagation of erroneous systems
which Peter, in his second epistle, so definitely refers to as
“damnable heresies.”
(671) One
stone and a Giant falls by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/1/21 Giants still fall with a right placed rock (the Word). Jer.
23:29 " Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a
hammer that breaks the rock in pieces ?” Ps. 18:31 “ who is God,
except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God” 2 Sam. 22:32
1 Sam 17:1 begins by telling us “Now the Philistines gathered
their armies together to battle, v.4 And a champion went out
from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath,
whose height was six cubits and a span. Decked in heavy armor
from head to toes, he was huge v:7 the “staff of his spear was
like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred
shekel (which makes it 12 plus pounds) The challenge went out
V:8-9 “Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your
servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you
shall be our servants and serve us.” V,10-11 “I defy the armies
of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."
When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,
they were dismayed and greatly afraid .” V.16 he did this for 40
days. They looked at the outward appearance and were intimidated
by his size. When David heard what was taking place he went to
the battlefield. His own brothers mocked him for leaving the
sheep and coming to the battle (1 Sam. 17:28), Little David came
forward for the challenge. David could not wear the king’s
armor, it was too heavy for him, he had to be able to move and
fight the way he was trained. Goliath was large but not quick.
The giant mocked David as he came out with no armor and only a
sling.
(672) Faith
is the ONLY way into the New Covenant by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/3/21 The New Covenant rests upon the death of the one who made it,
Jesus. Covenants can be conditional or unconditional. The new
covenant is different from the old in that it requires faith,
and it is unconditional. The old covenant was conditional and
had laws kept by works for one to receive a blessing. The New
covenant has all the work done to please God and receive
salvation buy Jesus. How do we enter the New covenant?
(673) Some
quick direct and efficient answers to everyday witnessing
by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/7/21 Unless one is born again you cannot receive the word of God to
have an understanding of Spiritual things. One can only believe
the Bible in piecemeal but a fuller complete understand comes
from the Holy Spirit teaching us. This take study It was shortly
after I was rescued out of the New Age movement I realized how
many others are involved in false beliefs inside the church that
I once entertained as truth. How do we have answers for so many
different religions and sects and cults? They all have
differences but they also have similarities. The most common
similarity in near 99% of all these is they believe in works
either by itself will save an individual (obedience to a person
or system of religion) or works with faith, not faith alone.
Over 200 times Jesus explained that they need to believe, to
have faith. This faith is in him, in his work and not rely on
them self.
(674) “For
we cannot but SPEAK” by Herescope, 3/20/21 The “dark winter” that has been predicted is not just political
speech. It is also a spiritual indication of the rampant moral
depravity both within and without the church. Never was there
such a time as this when people desperately need to hear us
SPEAK the TRUTH that Jesus died for their sins, so that they can
confess and repent, and experience the cleansing joy of His shed
blood on the cross for their sins, bringing them to His
salvation and the LIGHT of a new life. Read Part
1 & Part
2.
(675) Unless
You Are Born Again You Are Not Able To See The Kingdom Of God
at Christian Research Network, 3/21/21 3 Jesus answered and said to Him, “Amen, amen I say to you,
unless one is born again, he is not able to see the Kingdom of
God.” John 3:3 (translated from the NA28 Greek text) What causes
corruption of the Gospel message? As we have gone back to the
source, the root, which is the Word of God, as we exegeted from
the Greek, John’s account of our Lord’s contention with the
Jewish religious leaders during His earthly ministry, wasn’t it
apparent to all that Jesus came to Israel to reveal the Father
to them proving that He, the Son, was deity, to live a perfect,
sinless life and then lay His life down voluntarily to purchase
those who were chosen before the foundation of the world with
the price of His blood?
(676) Resurrection!
by Harry Ironside, 4/3/21
He preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection . . . And the
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:18,
30-31) Apart from the great fact of the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ from the dead, we would have no Gospel to preach.
By “resurrection,” we do not mean that our Lord’s spirit
continued to live after His body died but that He was actually
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father and came forth
from the tomb in the very same body that had been impaled on
Calvary’s cross. In that body, now glorified, He sits at God’s
right hand, and in that same body, He is coming again as the
Judge of both living and dead—the saved and lost. This is what
is emphasized for us in the seventeenth chapter of the Acts of
the apostles.
(677) Spiritual
Blindness by Mike Ratliff, 4/8/21
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you
formerly walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now
working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all
formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as the rest. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NASB) Not that
long ago whenever I learned of a pastor or other “church leader”
going off the rails morally I would be shocked as did most other
believers I know. However, now, it seems that some things have
changed….
(678) True
Godliness: Separating Regenerate Christianity From Counterfeit
Christianity by Mike Ratliff, 4/8/21
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did
not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to SET A MAN
AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S
ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.37 “He who loves
father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who
loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And
he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy
of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has
lost his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:34-39
(NASB) For those of you reading this who have also read my
series on the Counterfeit Church, I pray you will also read this
post. God is sovereign. I believe God is a Covenant God who has
not relinquished any of His sovereignty nor has He left His
people’s eternal status up to their fickle, fallen natures….
(679) The
pattern of prophecy that culminates in the Tribulation period
by Mike Oppenheimer, 4/27/21
Prophesy has patterns that are repetitious until the final
culmination takes place for its fulfillment. There is a season
in the last day period when all the events take place and then
synchronize. Mt. 24 Jesus says see to it- to watch- Why? Because
there will be deception. Mt 24 the gospel that is preached
encompasses the prophecies of the end of the age. Mark 13:13-14
" And you will be hated by all men for My name's sake. But he
who endures to the end shall be saved. "So when you see the
'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then
let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ” Endure to
the end of what? The Tribulation...
(680) God
Detests The Worship Of The Wicked by Jordan
Standridge, 5/7/21
When you see people on their knees praying to Allah, on their
knees praying the Hail Mary, or on their knees doing any
religious ritual, your first thought shouldn’t be “man, I wish I
took my religion as seriously as they do” it should be, “man,
what a tragic waste of time! God despises what they are doing, I
hope I can tell them about Christ”. (Jordan Standridge – The
Cripplegate) One of the most difficult truths for people
to believe is that God rejects worship. Billions of people on
earth pray, fast, beat their bodies, cry real tears and yet God
rejects all of it. I know it sounds harsh to our sin-minimizing
ears but it is such an important truth for us to grasp. He
doesn’t “appreciate the effort”. He doesn’t give half-credit. He
doesn’t say try again you’re so close. He utterly rejects it. In
fact, He despises it. From the beginning of the world God has
rejected people’s worship. He rejected the first attempt to
worship Him. Recently as I listened to a great message on Able’s
faith in Hebrews 11, I was reminded about this very truth. God
rejected Cain’s act of worship. (Gen. 4:5)
(681) Let
No One Mislead You by Mike Ratliff, 6/2/21
17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause
dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you
learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves,
not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their
smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the
unsuspecting. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to
all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be
wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Romans
16:17-19 (NASB) The visible church is overrun with false
teachers and their doctrines. There is a mindset in the Church
right now that is actually part of the problem in that it
ostracizes and attempts to isolate and silence those who, in
their obedience as watchmen, reveal the truth about certain
false teachers and why their doctrines are unbiblical….
(682) Follow
the Path by Sarah Leslie, 6/5/21
“Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I
delight.” (Psalm 119:35) Why would a Christian want to warn
about the dangers of heresy? Are discerners just being
busybodies, acting like know-it-alls, minding other people’s
business, looking for trouble, trying to agitate, or being
contentious? (We should work very hard to not be like
this!) A good motive for warning someone about the dangers
of heresy is because we love them and we are concerned for their
walk with the Lord. Another good reason for warning is because
it is a duty found in the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul provides
a good example to us of a loving warning in Acts 20:31:
“Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years
I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”
Another good reason to warn is because we may happen to
understand the dangers of a particular heresy. We may have a
prior firsthand experience that cannot be easily discounted or
dismissed.
(683) Anti
Semitism in the world and the church? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 6/9/21
The Jewish people have been targets of persecution since God
formed them as the only theocratic nation. Many do not like the
idea that God chose them with a mission, to carry his laws and
ways to the nations. Israel began by God separating one man,
Abraham. Through his sons, Isaac and then Jacob they became the
Hebrews (Gen.12), and through Jacob's sons they became the 12
tribes of Israel (Gen. 35:22). Since Jacob (who name was changed
to Israel), nations have hated them and their God. Yet they have
survived persecution that has tried to extinguish them. Read
Part 1 & Part 2.
(684) JESUS
& the "FACT" CHECKERS by Herescope, 6/16/21
“Today [the] objective basis for knowledge has been undermined
and the distinction between reality and fantasy has become
difficult –sometimes impossible – to maintain."
Dr. Francis Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century
(1970), p. 10. Forensically, Jesus Christ was DEAD. He DIED in a
moment of time, and He DIED in a specific place (Luke 28:33,44).
Ensuring that Christ was brutally killed on Calvary should have
settled the matter. His cruel DEATH was seen as the success of
the LYING NARRATIVE of the Religious Leaders that He wasn’t the
Son of God. He DIED. End of the STORY. The Religious
Establishment had effectually squashed the TRUTH. Or so they
thought… The Bible account of the DEATH of Jesus is straight
forward and FACT-BASED. Scripture contains various accounts of
the DEATH of Jesus Christ from reliable EYEWITNESSES who could
ATTEST to the FACTS. Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3 & Part
4.
(685) The
Qur’an or the Bible—Which One Has the Authentic Account?
(Booklet) by Tony Pearce, 7/3/21
Muslims tell us that: Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet.
The Qur’an is Allah’s final revelation sent down to Muhammad. It
has never been changed from the time it was given by revelation
to Muhammad. Islam is the final religion, based on Muhammad’s
life and teaching and sayings. Because Islam is the final
religion, it replaces all that has gone before it, especially
Judaism and Christianity, and the account written in the Bible.
The Qur’an contains stories about Bible characters, including
Abraham (the patriarch of the Jewish people) and Jesus (the
Messiah of the New Testament). But these stories are changed in
the Qur’an. The Muslim interpretation of the stories of Abraham
makes Ishmael the promised son, not Isaac. This means that the
line of promise goes through Ishmael to Muhammad and the Arab
people, not through Isaac and Jacob to the children of Israel.
The Muslim “Jesus” is not the Son of God but the last prophet
before Muhammad, and that Jesus did not die on the cross and
rise from the dead to save man from his sins. According to the
Muslim belief, someone like Jesus was crucified while he was
taken to Heaven from where he will return in the company of
another figure called the Mahdi to make the world Islamic (and
in the process abolish Christianity and Judaism).
(686) The
UFOs & the Nephilim by Herescope, 7/14/21
Over the years the most requested topic in our e-mails has been
about an extensive article series we ran on the UFOs, the
nephilim, the space aliens and end-time eschatology. Recently
the UFOs and space aliens has been in the news again. Below is a
compilation of all of our articles on these topics so that you
can research this issue for yourself.
(687) As
the spirit of the age Strengthens by Mike Oppenheimer,
7/17/21
There are two spirits at work in the world. One is of God, the
other is not; but opposes God. One is Holy, the other is
anything but Holy; it leads to sin and evil being done. This is
not time to be sitting on the fence wondering whom you will
serve. As Bob Dylan sang many years ago ‘ You're gonna have to
serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.’ Which is exactly what
Jesus told the people and what the whole Bible is about. Luke
16:13 “ No servant can serve two masters; for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the
one and despise the other.” Jesus came to serve man by being
obedient to God, he was God’s servant (Isa.53), in ministry he
showed us what we were made for, and be like. Luke 4:18 Jesus at
the beginning of ministry speaks of being anointed, and one of
the main reasons is “To proclaim liberty to the captives.” While
God gives man freedom by his Spirit it is not freedom to sin,
and do whatever we want but to have the ability to live a life
pleasing to God which is also beneficial to us. Today there is
great rebellion (some call it the great reset), it is about
having the freedom to sin, to do whatever they want to. Read
Part 1
& Part 2.
(688) The
Watchman by Scottish pastor, Horatius Bonar
(1808-1889)
This is an ode to those of you who defend the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and warn others of impending spiritual danger, speaking
the truth in love, strength, and courage, by His grace.
(689) What
is hedonism? What is a hedonist? by GotQuestions,
8/11/21
Hedonism is a philosophy of life that supports pursuing all
kinds of pleasure. Hedonists pursue a lifestyle of
self-indulgence. The term hedonism comes from the ancient Greek
word for “pleasure.” Our concept of the philosophy of hedonism
largely stems from the ancient Greeks. Aristippus of Cyrene, a
student of Socrates, is believed to be the first to preach this
philosophy. Aristippus believed that the ultimate meaning of
life is pleasure and, thus, pleasure should be man’s greatest
pursuit. Aristippus’s ideas may not have taken such hold if he
were not succeeded by his more famous student, Epicurus, who
also subscribed to hedonism. Epicurus taught that there is no
afterlife and so one must enjoy pleasure as the ultimate end,
though he acknowledged occasional restraint could lead to
greater pleasure later. The Epicurean school of thought went on
to flourish, and Epicureans debated with the apostle Paul in
Athens (Acts 17:18). Hedonism reemerged with prominence in the
18th century under philosophers like Jeremy Bentham. With its
newfound popularity, it developed into a more nuanced
psychological and ethical theory, but the base remained the
same: one should pursue the greatest pleasure. The hedonistic
outlook is not supported by Scripture. In the book of
Ecclesiastes, the writer delves deep into the folly of chasing
pleasure: “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with
pleasure to find out what is good.’ . . . I denied myself
nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure”
(Ecclesiastes 2:1, 10). But in the end the verdict was that
“everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing
was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).
(690) Waiting,
Not Running by Mike Ratliff, 8/12/21
Yes, we are to be discerning. Yes, we are to be Christlike. Yes,
we are to have godly convictions and not be in love with this
world. All that describes us as we we mature into the believers
our Lord wants us to be. However, the path is not always a
smooth one. No, part of this journey to the Celestial City takes
us through severe tests of our faith as well as having to deal
with people, governments, and even religious people who are
under the control of our enemy…. Therefore, we must become those
living sacrifices, Holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1) who
live our lives as Spirit-led, obedient slaves δοῦλοι (douloi) of
our Lord Jesus Christ. As we do this the Holy Spirit will
transform us according to the will of God. (Romans 12:2). It is
through this along with confessing and repenting of our sins (1
John 1:9) and taking everything to the Lord in prayer with a
repentant heart by drawing near unto God so He will draw near to
us (James 4:7) that we learn to to be humble and walk before our
Lord as His abiding disciples (John 15). As we do this we will
not try to hurry through our walk with our Lord, but will learn
to wait as Charles Spurgeon shows us in todays Faith check Book.
(691) The
deception of a flawed eschatology called Preterism by
Mike Oppenheimer, 8/25/21
This is a listing for our Preterist friends of the many (not
all) things that are supposed to have already happened that
didn’t. Whether one holds to a full or partial Preterist
position of Eschatology. They must have answers that agree with
the numerous main Scriptures (and sub scriptures) for their no
future fulfillment of prophecy. Prophecy is to be fulfilled as
it is written, or, it is not being fulfilled. Some questions,
dozens of them must be answered to prove their view is an
accurate teaching of prophecy from the Scripture. Read Part 1 & Part 2.
(692) I
Doubt My Salvation by Bob Deffinbaugh, 8/27/21
Q. I fear that the sins I committed before trusting in Christ
were unpardonable, and thus I doubt my salvation. Could I have
committed the unpardonable sin and yet have also sought to trust
in Jesus? A. Dear Brother, John 6:37 clearly states that if one
comes to Jesus, He will certainly not cast him out. And, if we
look at the first part of this verse, we must also conclude that
the one who comes to Jesus is one whom the Father has given our
Lord. When we look at Mark chapters 3 and 4 we see that Jesus
spoke in parables so that those who committed the unpardonable
sin would not understand the gospel, and thus would not trust in
Jesus: 28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the
sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is
guilty of an eternal sin “-- 30 because they were saying, “He
has an unclean spirit” (Mark. 3:28-30, NAU). 11 And He was
saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the
kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in
parables, 12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT
PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND,
OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN” (Mark 4:11-12).
Obviously, you have come to understand the gospel, and to have
trusted in Jesus, so you must not have committed the
unpardonable sin.
(694) The
Spirit of Fear by Mike Ratliff, 9/4/21
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) Over on Gab today
I watched a video of how the whole world has been deliberately
dumbed down through consumerism. What I mean is those who bought
into loving the world and the things of this world have never
really matured as our parents or grandparents did who were much
more self-reliant.
(695) Christian
Activism—Is It Biblical? by Dave Hunt, Originally
published November 1, 1989
“Christian activism” is not Christian. It represents a detour
from the straight path the church is to walk before the world.
It can confuse the real issues, lead to compromise and unholy
alliances, and divert time and effort that would better be used
in proclaiming the gospel. Weigh the demands upon your time and
set priorities. Be fully engaged in rescuing souls for eternity.
(696) Biblical
Beliefs Take A Nose Dive by Smart Faith, 9/12/21
“If the Christian church is to have any hope of reversing this
decline in biblical beliefs, it must make solid biblical
theology a central focus of its preaching. Biblical theology is
not something that can be absorbed via osmosis – it must be
taught, intentionally and incrementally. If sound, deep theology
is not preached from the pulpit, where else will the average
person hear it?” A newly released American study draws attention
to a “striking decline” in traditional biblical beliefs among
those who claim to be evangelicals. The study by Probe
Ministries discovered that 60% of those claiming to be ‘born
again’ Christians in America, aged between 18 and 39, believe
that Buddha and Muhammad are equally valid paths to salvation.
Furthermore, 30% say that Jesus was not perfect and probably
sinned.
(698) Four
Characteristics of a False Convert by Jordan
Standridge, 9/15/21
Of course, no amount of time spent discipling people is wasted
time, but there is a sense in which we want to use our time
wisely and be able to water where the grass is green, rather
than spend our time watering dead grass. Is there a way to tell?
Is there a way to be able to recognize the sheep from among the
goats in this life? Well, Simon had four red flags that Luke
points out in the short story of Acts 8:9-24. Open in Logos
Bible Software (if available) which we can apply to all false
converts. These don’t encompass all the red flags, but they are
a helpful start. So, here are four characteristics of a false
convert.
(699) Sodom
And Gomorrah: Researchers Find Stunning Evidence Of The
Ancient Cities Destroyed By God by FaithPot, 9/28/21
Researchers have found evidence to prove the story of God’s
wrath on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to be true in the
Bible. “Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and
Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens” (Genesis 19:24). The
only explanation for this discovery is that burning debris fell
on the buildings from the air. But how could such a thing
happen?
(700) The
Counterfeit Church by Matt Ratliff, 10/10/21
4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her,
my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and
receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have piled up as high as
heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18:4-5
(NASB) The world system, for the most part, is extremely
tolerant of religion as long as it is not evangelical
Christianity. However, it has no problem with that version of
Christianity that is politically correct.
(701) "Everyone
did what was right in his own eyes" at CRN, 10/11/21
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what
was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25 (NASB) We live in an
evil time. There are large numbers of “Christian” leaders who
claim to be ministers of God, but prove by their words and
actions to have thrown off the authority of God. They do what is
right in their own eyes while claiming that they are only
following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
(702) Enoch by Sandy Simpson,
10/13/21 I was thinking about Enoch the other day and what it
must have meant to the Lord to have someone in the Ancient World
actually spend time with Him. So many had walked away
after Adam and Eve stopped walking with the Lord, and Cain
departed for the land of Nod. Apparently, Cain, who
fathered the first Enoch, established a city named after his son
but he and his descendants did not follow the Lord but instead
followed human pursuits and became one of the sources of
violence and sexual dalliance with demons that caused God to
send the flood.
(703) The
Mind Of The New Man Rooted In Christ by Mike Ratliff,
10/14/21
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the
old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2
Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) All forms of Liberal (so-called)
Christianity are another religion, not True Christianity. Why?
They are rooted in worldly, humanistic, and non-Christian
presuppositions. On the other hand, the Word of God clearly
directs believers to avoid these philosophies and/or ideologies,
instead, their presuppositions must be the precepts and
doctrines of Christ, not the futile traditions of men (Col. 2:3,
4, 22; 3:1-2)
(704) The
Weapon We Need For Spiritual Battle by Jonathan Noyes,
10/16/21
“There is a battle raging. We have a powerful enemy who seeks to
devour, but we have a weapon that is more powerful and allows us
to fight back—the truth. Armed with the truth of God, we can
withstand Satan’s assaults. As ambassadors for Christ, we can
stand firm against the devil’s lies in the culture.” Beneath the
surface of the visible world, a battle rages in an unseen realm.
Dark, wicked, supernatural powers seek to rule the world by
force. The carnage and the casualties lie all around us.
(705) ‘If
Satan Wrote An Article About The Bible, It Would Look Just
Like This.’ by John Knox, Not the Bee, 10/30/21
Relevant Magazine, now apparently run by the devil himself, says
we’ve made the Bible into an “idol”: [See the tweet on the site]
"The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it. You’ve
heard that phrase before. You’ve read it on bumper stickers. You
may have even said it a time or two. It’s an odd little
religious mantra that perfectly captures the strange, often
paradoxical relationship we modern Christians have with our
mysterious ancient text ..."
(706) Judging
Correctly And Incorrectly by Mike Ratliff, 11/1/21
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way
you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure,
it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2 (NASB) It is
impossible to walk through one’s day without having to make
judgments. In fact our Lord Jesus who made the oft misquoted and
misunderstood command found in Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37 to
“Judge Not!” also made the following command.
(707) Perfectionism
and the Second Blessing by Mike Ratliff, 11/7/21
There is no “second blessing” so what is it that I experienced
in 2004? I believe God circumcised my heart as He gave me the
spiritual ability to do this work. Therefore, I must not
squander it. I must press on in shining God’s light of truth
into the darkness so His children can find their way. This also
includes telling the truth in the face of extreme resistance
from those who love to corrupt the Gospel thereby leading many
astray. This also means that, to keep me from being proud and
thereby becoming useless in the Kingdom, He gives me thorns in
the flesh. Some are physical. Some are spiritual. Some are
people who are tools of the enemy. Each of these are designed to
humble me and I definitely need that.
(708) Happy
Thanksgiving (Video) by James Jacob Prasch, 11/15/21
This a re-post from the 2020 Thanksgiving message. Jacob
explains the real story of Thanksgiving day, the pilgrims'
escape from England, and the holiday's biblical counterpart.
(709) Walking
in love; to walk in the truth is to walk in the Spirit
by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/16/21
We are to walk in his truth Ps 26:3 ‘ For Your lovingkindness is
before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.” I Jn. 3:18- 21
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but
in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the
truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart
condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all
things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have
confidence toward God.’ When we know we are doing things
according to his Word we are guiltless. We do what we say and we
mean what we say, we keep our word. This is so important in the
time that we live in. People want to see we care not just talk
about it. They know we speak the truth when our actions
compliment our word, they will have respect and be more apt to
listen.
(710) Theological
terms and definitions by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/19/21
Some of these are grouped in categories. But most of the terms
and explanations are listed in alphabetical order.
(711) How
To Teach Your Kids To Spot A False Gospel by Alisa
Childers, Servants of Grace, 11/21/21
When my daughter was young, I would make quinoa, oatmeal, and
flax seed “waffles,” and she loved them. It wasn’t until we were
visiting family in California that she experienced the hotel
breakfast bar and loudly exclaimed, “Mom, these waffles are so
much BETTER THAN YOURS.” The jig was up. The dry and grainy
imposter waffles would no longer be tolerated. Now she had
tasted the real thing and would never again be fooled by a
counterfeit.
(712) Is
Jesus “Woke”? by Ken Ham, 11/23/21
Would Jesus be declared “woke” by political conservatives if he
came to earth today, instead of 2,000 years ago? According to a
recent tweet, the Democratic lieutenant governor hopeful of
Texas, Matthew Dowd, believes so. Is Dowd right? Is Jesus
“woke”? Well, “woke” means many things today. In his tweet, Dowd
appears to define it with the following statement: How about we
just say it is human decency to treat all with respect and
dignity and that it is constitutional to say all men and women
are equal. Now, in his tweet he’s basically defending being
“woke” as thinking like Jesus thinks and treating everyone with
“respect and dignity.” Of course, that’s not how most people are
using the term “woke.” Generally, it refers to being “awakened”
to the so-called “issues of our day,” such as presumed LGBTQ
rights, abortion, CRT, and so on. Dowd’s tweet is an example of
the common practice of those who don’t really know or believe
Christ and the Bible, using the Bible or Christ to affirm
whatever they want! When we look to God’s Word, we see that
Jesus taught against many of the teachings of his day,
particularly the false, self-serving doctrines and practices of
the religious elites of his day. Often he did this by teaching
from the Scriptures and showing them their error and sin. And he
would do the same today—indeed he is doing so each and every day
through his eternal, unchanging Word! So, we don’t have to
wonder if Jesus is “woke.” Jesus, who is God, gave us his Word,
filled with everything he wants us to know about who he is, who
we are, what he has done for us, and what he expects of us. And
much of what he taught is upside down to what our sinful hearts
expect or want—and that certainly includes today’s “woke” crowd.
(713) Testing
the Spirits by Marsha West, 11/29/21
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to
see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have
gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess
Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of
which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in
the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have
overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who
is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak
as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from
God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does
not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the
spirit of error. 1 John 4:1-6 (NASB) It is one thing to confess
Christ or profess to be a Christian and quite another to live
and walk before the face of God within that confession or
profession in obedience to God and His Word. There are so many
in our time who claim to be Christians, but whose lives are
marked by them speaking and living according to the world and
its ways.
(714) When
did the church begin? by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/3/21
First we need to understand the Holy Spirit living in believers
is what the church is. There was no Church in the Old testament
(there was an assembly of the Jews) before Jesus time nor during
Jesus’ time until he went away, ascending, after he made the new
covenant. The church is made of both Jews and Gentles. Gentiles
do not become Jews but spiritual Gentiles. The Church of God
Jesus had purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28), which means
he had to die first. After Christ raised from the dead and
ascended he sent the Holy Spirit to birth a new entity, the
church. The Greek word is ekklesia (which is used 114 times in
the New Testament) which means a called out assembly (Ek = out
of, Kaleo= to call). It is never used of a building, or of the
kingdom of God. The Church is not the kingdom, but included in
it. The Church is an invisible living spiritual organism,
composed of all the believers worldwide, from the time of its
inception on Pentecost, until it is taken away at the rapture.
The church did not begin in the middle of Acts, neither in Acts
9 or Acts 13. It began in at the feast of Pentecost with the
Holy Spirit sent, as Jesus said I will build my church. On the
feast of Pentecost as they were baptized in the Spirit and Gods
glory was seen above their heads for the first time on people
temporarily showing what is taking place.
(715) What
Is The Offense Of The Cross? by Mike Ratliff, 12/11/21
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue
righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness
which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of
righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they
did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They
stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is
written,“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK
OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED.” Romans 9:30-33 (NASB) The Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ must always be offensive to the unregenerate. It is
that offense that makes it clear to people that they have
nothing with which to bargain with God.
(716) Do
we have a sin nature or NOT? by Mike Oppenheimer,
12/13/21
Some doctrinal positions that have been taken in the church just
do not need to be debated or questioned if one would look at the
Scripture and use Bible logic. If one is born without a sin
nature then they are sinless, then Christ is not the only one
born without sin. Why would he need to be brought into the world
by a virgin conceiving him by the Holy Spirit. In fact all this
becomes meaningless when one takes this position that sin was
not passed down from Adam. But the Bible explicitly says 1 Cor.
15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be
made alive. “And Paul explains the wages of sin is death, thus
we are sinful and are severed from a relationship with God the
creator; and the only way to change this is to believe in Christ
to have this severed relationship reversed. We can choose not to
sin in a very strong exercise of our will and go against our
nature, but we will choose to sin more often (like gravity)
because we have a sin nature. This does not exclude that we can
make right decisions but without God we naturally make wrong
decisions. And God’s instructions from his Word one is our
standard, one cannot know what to choose what is good or right
without knowing it (Rom.5:12 the law). One does not become a
sinner because they have sinned, they sin because they are a
sinner.
(717) When
the Unthinkable Happens By Maria Kneas (an excerpt
from Maria’s book, Strength For Tough Times), 12/18/21
God promised to make everything work out for our good if we love
Him (Romans 8:28). When the pain and the tears come, will we
trust God to bring good out of our situation? We can ask God to
increase our trust in Him and our love for Him. We can ask Him
to make us faithful. We can ask Him to enable us to stand with
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—to be determined to be faithful
to our God no matter what happens to us and the people we love.
The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like
hinds’ feet. (Habakkuk 3:19)
(718) The
Gospel: The Balancing “Tool” for Discernment by David
Dombrowski, 12/23/21
From the onset of Lighthouse Trails in 2002, we have always
endeavored to be connected with the body of believers scattered
throughout the world who are very concerned, as we are, with the
state of the church today. Many of our readers have told us they
feel very alone and even ostracized in witnessing the apostasy
in the churches today prior to their finding our website and
realizing there were other Christians who saw what they did. We
know firsthand how it feels to be labeled troublemakers for
having legitimate concerns about what is happening in the church
today. We too have felt disillusioned as we have witnessed a
gradual departure in the churches from the Word of God. Pulpits
throughout the land, many of which formerly proclaimed the
biblical Gospel of God’s saving grace through the sacrifice on
the Cross now espouse an assortment of pseudo-gospel,
pop-psychology, seeker-friendly, Purpose-Driven, Calvinistic,
progressive, New Age, mystical/contemplative spirituality that
may be chicken soup for the soul but what God calls an
abomination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). It is no wonder that God, in
referring to the lukewarm, warns that He is ready to “spew thee”
out of His mouth” (Revelation 3:16). How much better it would
have been if churches and their pastors had stuck with John
3:16!
(719) I
Will Strengthen Thee by Mike Ratliff, 12/24/21
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about
you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will
help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand.’ Isaiah 41:10 (NASB) I saw a Christian encouragement meme
a few days ago that went something like this, “When you see a
Christian who is at peace in the midst of chaos what you are
witnessing is a mature believer who has been through the fire
and has learned where their strength comes from and in whom to
trust.”
(720) Do
Not Grow Weary by Mike Ratliff, 12/27/21
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are called according to
His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB) When things appear dark and
perhaps the bottom just fell out of a major part of our lives,
we may fall into doubt about God’s sustaining grace. However,
God is faithful. He is also Sovereign and never taken by
surprise by the good and bad events in the lives of His people.
(721) Carry
the cross by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/29/21
The first man to walk with Jesus carrying his cross (literally)
was an African Jew who came do the feast of Passover when Jesus
was crucified. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the
Gospels, except John’s. Mark 15:16-23 after the soldiers brought
Jesus to Praetorium, they mocked him. They clothed Him with
purple; twisted a crown of thorns onto His head, and saluted
Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" they struck Him on the head with
a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, as if they
worshiped Him . After this humiliation they took the purple off
Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify
Him.’ V.21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian,
the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the
country and passing by, to bear His cross. And they brought Him
to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.” A
Roman guard would place their sword on one’s shoulder and expect
them to obey their command (Matthew 5:41). This is what they did
to Simon. Simon was not involved in the crowd gathering for his
sentence but on their way up the hill he was suddenly chosen for
this horrendous task of his demise by Rome. What was someone
doing In Jerusalem at this time from Africa? In all likelihood
he too was a Jew at the Passover celebration. Cyrene is a city
in North Africa, Libya where large number of Greek-speaking Jews
lived.
(722) From Archived BiblestudyTo Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain!
Phil. 1:20-30 by Sandy Simpson, 1/2/22 How many believers can truthfully say that their whole reason
for living is Christ, and to die is gain? What I see
more often would be more like: for me to live is gain, and to
die is Christ. Do we truthfully live to serve Christ
instead of our own sinful appetites? Paul was
persecuted to the point where I am sure he would have preferred
to die on numerous occasions.
(723) The
Battle for God by Gary Gilley, 1/10/22 While most conservative evangelicals were resting comfortably
in the Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead, as stated in
the Nicene Creed (AD 381), a storm was brewing on the
theological horizon of others. In just the last few years,
a major war over the very nature of God has erupted with the
potential of leaving in its wake much doctrinal and spiritual
damage. For this reason, I want to discuss this debate, not
necessarily with the hope of solving all the issues (after all,
some of the greatest theological minds within Christianity are
weighing in on this subject), but at least to bring some clarity
to the discussion and perhaps to map a way forward. With these
aspirations in mind, I will prepare three articles on the
subject. This first paper will lay the foundation by
addressing the origin of the debate, as well as the role that
complementarianism is playing, and documenting accusations that
have highly elevated the stakes. The second article identifies
several doctrinal issues that play dominant roles in the
discussion. Finally, the third paper addresses a few more
theological issues, especially the place that Scripture has, or
perhaps does not have, in the discussions. Read Part
1, Part
2 & Part
3.
(724) Are
You In God’s Light Or The World’s Darkness? by Mike
Ratliff, 1/17/22 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All
things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing
came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and
the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a
man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness,
to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through
him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the
Light. John 1:1-34 (NASB) Read verses 9-34 on the site. The New
Testament book of John is profound. The thirty-four opening
verses (above) set the stage for us by making sure we understand
whom Jesus Christ really is. Who is He? He is God! He is the
Word, the Logos, who preexisted creation.
(725) Unable
To See The Forest For The Trees by Mike Ratliff,
1/22/22 6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR
LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO
THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ 8
Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of
men.” Mark 7:6-8 (NASB) About 15 years ago before my old church
in Kansas was taken over by the PDC madness, it became a haven
for several families and single adults from a Fundamental
Baptist church in our area that had forced them to leave. They
were disciplined and expelled from membership because they
refused to sever relationships with others in their families who
the leadership in that church determined “were in sin.” I became
close to several of the couples and taught them in my Bible
Study class and what I discovered was that they were actually
starved for the Word of God. They were not being fed the truth
regularly as they should have been, but, instead, were fed the
commandments of men.
(726) “Truth
or Consequences” in an Untruthful World by Warren B.
Smith, 1/30/22 Truth or consequences. The stakes are high, but one thing is
for sure: Truth prevails in the end because Jesus Christ is the
way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and His truth endures
forever (Psalm 117:1-2). May we pray that His truth will shine
forth in our lives and that many will be turned to righteousness
(Matthew 5:16; Daniel 12:3). And when it is all said and done,
let us be able to say that we have “chosen the way of truth”
(Psalm 119:30), that we have “walked” in God’s truth (Psalm
26:3), and that we have always “rejoiced” in God’s truth
(1Corinthians 13:6).
(727) Bible
On Trial: Speaking Truth, Scripture Now Hate Speech?
by David Fiorazo, 1/31/22 "Elections have consequences, and if this piece of radical
legislation passes in the Senate, truth proclaimers and
Bible-believing Christians will face persecution here that most
of us didn’t think would happen in our lifetimes. Don’t think
the left won’t gleefully criminalize followers of an entire
worldview to advance its godless agenda.” Another male athlete
competing against young women is annihilating the competition.
Olympic gold medalist and swimming champion, Michael Phelps
weighed in saying everyone should have an equal playing field.
(728) The
tree of good and evil in the garden of Eden Gen 2:9 by
Mike Oppenheimer, 2/5/22 Genesis contains the record, the most important story for all
to understand why the world is the condition it is in. It
becomes the main understanding of why there is a gospel. The
tree of knowledge of good and evil was near the tree of life in
the garden where Adam and eve were made from and occupied. The
command was a test of obedience to our first parents by which
they would be children who obey God or break his simple command.
It was Adam who was directly told by God not to eat of this
tree: this prohibition was given to Adam before Eve was taken
from his side (Gen.2:15-17). When God said to Adam You will die,
Adam had no idea what this was - he had never seen death.
(729) Welcome
to war - soldier up! by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/8/22 When we hear the term spiritual warfare it is interpreted in
different ways depending on what you have been taught or
experienced. In the Bible we read of our world as a battlefield,
the Devils kingdom opposes God’s and the chess pieces on the
board are you and I, mankind. He is after your soul, which is
man’s greatest possession. We are contending in spiritual
warfare every day in various ways. Influences are all around us
toward those that do not believe being convinced, to those who
do believe to have us act contrary to our new nature from
Christ. We either react in our old nature, or in the new which
gives us victory over his influence. We begin to enter a war in
our mind that wants to solicit the heart, the flesh wars against
the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; that is our
personal spiritual warfare. But the whole world is now in the
battle like never before.
(730) The
Parabolic teachings of Jesus by Mike Oppenheimer,
2/12/22 In Jesus’ parabolic method of teaching a certain point or
lesson is made for each story told. Parables are part of Jesus’
teaching style for the masses who congregated to listen tis
teachings. he drew on the lifestyles of the people of his day to
illustrate spiritual truths and the application given to live
by. In Matthew 12 Jesus is rejected by the nation led by certain
religious leaders on the grounds of demon possession (Blasphemy
of the Spirit). The very same day, He begins teaching the masses
in parables. A Parable is a figure of speech put in a story
setting to illustrate a moral, spiritual or heavenly truth. The
example can be taken from people’s everyday experiences.
Mt.13:10 The disciples asked "why do you speak in parables".
Jesus answers "It has been to you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given". The
principle is (Isa. 6:9-10) to reveal to those whose heart is
seeking truth, and they will continue to be given more. But for
those who are hard of heart it is hidden until they repent.
Through parabolic teaching the truth was received to those who
have spiritual understanding and it was hiddent further from
those who did not, "so that 'Seeing they may see and not
perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest
they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them" (Mk. 4:12).
(731) The
Necessity Of Sound Doctrine by Marsha West, 2/20/22 “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and from by
the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human
cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Eph 4:14 In
Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul is principally concerned with
unity in the body of Christ—how the church functions as one unit
for the mission and purpose to which she has been called. Paul
identifies this “one body” (Eph. 4:4) as those who: Walk
“worthy” of their calling (Eph. 4:1). Bear “with one another in
love” (Eph. 4:2). “Maintain the unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3).
Equip others “for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12). Build “up
the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). “Attain to the unity of the
faith” (Eph. 4:13). Speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). These
splendid features identify the body of Christ and distinguish
all mature believers. Maturity is essential in achieving the
purpose and call of the church. How do we produce mature
believers?
(732) Five
Marks Of A False Convert at CRN, 2/21/22 Being a Christian is by far the greatest blessing one could
receive. Who can reject the glory of God, and the awesome love
and forgiveness that Jesus has to offer? Yet, sadly, there are
many out there who have convinced themselves that they are
Christians, when, unfortunately, they are not. Here is a
shortlist of signs that you can use to examine yourself, or
someone else, to test whether or not you are truly in the faith.
This is by far not an exhaustive list, nor is it meant to
discourage true believers.
(733) Carry
the cross by Mike Oppenheimer, 2/26/22 The first man to walk with Jesus carrying his cross (literally)
was an African Jew who came do the feast of Passover when Jesus
was crucified. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in three of the
Gospels, except John’s. Mark 15:16-23 after the soldiers brought
Jesus to Praetorium, they mocked him. They clothed Him with
purple; twisted a crown of thorns onto His head, and saluted
Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" they struck Him on the head with
a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, as if they
worshiped Him . After this humiliation they took the purple off
Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify
Him.’ V.21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian,
the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the
country and passing by, to bear His cross. And they brought Him
to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.” A
Roman guard would place their sword on one’s shoulder and expect
them to obey their command (Matthew 5:41). This is what they did
to Simon. Simon was not involved in the crowd gathering for his
sentence but on their way up the hill he was suddenly chosen for
this horrendous task of his demise by Rome. What was someone
doing In Jerusalem at this time from Africa? In all likelihood
he too was a Jew at the Passover celebration. Cyrene is a city
in North Africa, Libya where large number of Greek-speaking Jews
lived. Luke’s Gospel tells us that Simon carried the cross
behind Jesus as he was led to his crucifixion. Jesus said in
Lk.9:23 “ If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me” Here we have an
illustration of what discipleship is.
(734) The
Deceitfulness Of Sin by Mike Ratliff, 3/8/22 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of
the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father,
but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also
its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.18
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that
antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared;
from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out
from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of
us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that
it would be shown that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:15-19
(NASB) It is not very costly to profess Christ. Anyone can do
that. Christianity becomes costly when the professing Christian
stands and does not fall away in the face of persecution or
pressure to conform to some position or stance that is clearly
opposed in some way to God’s clear commands found in His Word…
(735) The
Most Solemn Mandate by Marsha West, 3/9/22 I don’t know how many times I’ve heard parents who are members
of churches say to me: "I intentionally never discuss theology
or religion with my children, because I want them to believe
whatever they come to believe honestly and not because they’ve
been indoctrinated by us in the home. I don’t want them to be
slaves to a parental tradition. I want them to experience
reality on its own terms and come to whatever conclusion they
are drawn from the evidence." Such sentiments mystify me because
they are at such odds with the teaching of Scripture. Just
consider Deuteronomy 6:4–9.
(736) How
Deep Are We Into The Last Days? by Mike Ratliff,
3/10/22 1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will
come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious
gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4
treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they
have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 2 Timothy 3:1-7
(NASB) Read verses 6-7 on the site. The title to this post
is strictly a rhetorical question. I do not expect anyone to be
able to answer it succinctly except the Lord and He isn’t going
to do that. However, as we, those of us who are not blind to the
truth that is, survey the church visible, we must honestly say
that what is going on is exactly what the Apostle Paul was
talking about in 2 Timothy 3:1-7.
(737) The
evil day by Mike Oppenheimer, 3/25/22 People are wondering, are we seeing the end of civilization and
the rule of law? Nearly every decision made coming from those
higher up in government[s] is not right or good for their
people, some see it as the very opposite of common sense. So
it’s not unusual to wonder and question what is actually going
on. In fact that would be the prudent thing to. Accusations are
flying in every direction without facts, unrighteous anger is
rising prompting those to succumb to its influence as emotional
traps are set everywhere. People are doing whatever they want
for themselves, to the extent of babies thrown in the trash,
people being murdered for no reason, for their race, just
plain hatred and lawlessness influence their actions making the
warnings of the last days ever so real in our present time. What
are you being taught during this time of choosing sides, are you
learning truth or are you compromising your morals, integrity
and even your biblical knowledge? Does the Bible touch on these
matters we are all living through?
(738) What
did John mean by calling Jesus the Alpha and Omega? by
Mike Oppenheimer, 3/30/22 It is John that uses the phrase the Alpha and Omega for Jesus ,
the beginning and the end. He began all things to exist and will
complete them, this phrase represents the totality or entirety
of all. This the same as using the aleph and the Tav in the
Hebrew alphabet. The first AND last is applied to Jesus. If one
believes the Father is God then certainly there is no
alternative but to believe the Son is also, since he is involved
in the creation just as the Father is. In fact the Father
attributes the creating to the sons (Heb.1). The one being that
is God (unified) is the first and the last. Otherwise we must
conclude that the Father is not the first or last either. By
saying one is the alpha and omega they are claiming to be the
eternal one, who has control of history from the beginning to
the end. In Rev.1:17-18 shows John falling down at the feet of
“the first and last,” as the one “ who lives and was dead and is
alive forever more.” (meaning Jesus who died and was
resurrected) The Old Testaments phrase “First and the last’ is
the same as the New Testaments “Alpha and Omega.” The letters
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek
alphabet. In the Jewish mindset, a reference to the first and
last letters of an alphabet (in Hebrew, the Aleph and Tau) would
include all the letters in between, meaning Jesus is the
summation of all. The title “Alpha and Omega” means he is the
beginner and end of all things. It means he is eternal, the
originator.
(739) Twisting
Scripture by Mike Ratliff, 4/3/22 Martin Luther’s ministry as a reformer was in the early 16th
Century. However, even back then people were trying to force
their own man-made doctrines on the Bible. Nothing has changed.
People still do this. The use of the Bible this way is always
eisegetical. That is, it is reading into the text that which is
not there. This does violence to the authority of scripture and
its inerrancy. Every heresy started this way. Also, much of the
rebellion against traditional churches these days is born within
those who believe that established denominations are guilty of
doing the same thing.
(740) You
Are Of Your Father The Devil by Mike Ratliff, 4/14/22 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who
practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8
the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has
sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this
purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:7-8 (NASB)
Relativism is the fatal disease of the unregenerate heart. Of
course, it is a self-focused relativism. Everyone is unique, of
course, but we have this built-in sense of ‘fairness’ that is
antithetical to God’s Sovereignty. Several years ago, my late
friend and colleague Ken Silva was the subject of a satirical
article meant to attack his character. If you think through that
then you should immediately recognize the tactics of our enemy.
(741) How
Should the Christian Contender of the Faith Speak and Behave?
by Lighthouse Trails, 4/20/22 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than
any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews
4:12) Lighthouse Trails has always made great efforts to speak
the truth in love. We attempt to never be vitriolic or judge
one’s motives, not even the “worst” of them. We leave that part
up to God. We also attempt to make sure any article we link to
by a fellow researcher is of the same caliber. While we do
occasionally link to an article that might not fall perfectly
into that criteria, our regular authors and writers are of the
same mindset as us. So how does a believer rightfully and in a
godly manner (following the example of Jesus, Paul, and the
disciples) deal with those who are bringing false teachings into
the church.
(742) The
evil day by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/1/22 People are wondering, are we seeing the end of civilization and
the rule of law? Nearly every decision made coming from those
higher up in government[s] is not right or good for their
people, some see it as the very opposite of common sense. So
it’s not unusual to wonder and question what is actually going
on. In fact that would be the prudent thing to. Accusations are
flying in every direction without facts, unrighteous anger is
rising prompting those to succumb to its influence as emotional
traps are set everywhere. People are doing whatever they want
for themselves, to the extent of babies thrown in the trash,
people being murdered for no reason, for their race, just
plain hatred and lawlessness influence their actions making the
warnings of the last days ever so real in our present time. What
are you being taught during this time of choosing sides, are you
learning truth or are you compromising your morals, integrity
and even your biblical knowledge? Does the Bible touch on these
matters we are all living through? 2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that
in the last days perilous times will come, perilous especially
for the believer, and Paul then lists the characteristics and
actions of what takes place. We can identify them all in action
today. For the believers who live through this time we are
instructed on how to survive without being damaged emotionally,
spiritually. Eph. 6:13-14 “ Therefore take up the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.” Make no mistake God sees those who
do evil before his eyes, he speaks of this numerous times. It
will not matter who they are or the money they have in the end,
they will be judged accordingly.
(743) Our
Struggle Is Not Against Flesh And Blood, But Against The
Forces Of Wickedness In The Heavenly Places by Mike
Ratliff, 5/7/22 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His
might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able
to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly
places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NASB) As we study Ephesians 6:10-20,
which in most New Testaments is labeled as “The Armor of God” or
something similar, we need to pay close attention the reason God
has given us this armor and, therefore, why it is necessary for
us to put it on and keep it on at all time.
(744) Midrash:
Jesus in the Garden by Jacob Prasch, 5/9/22 When a Jewish Christian in the first century read the first
four chapters of John's Gospel, he would have said that it
parallels the Book of Genesis. He would have said that the story
of the New Creation in John's Gospel is a midrash on, or an
inquiry into, the Creation. The New Creation in John corresponds
to the Creation in Genesis; Genesis tells us that God walked the
earth, and Adam heard Him in the Garden of Eden. This speaks of
Jesus: it is a Christophany, which is the theological term for
an Old Testament manifestation of Jesus. John tells us in his
first chapter that His Word became flesh, and once again God
walked the earth.
(745) Christian
Freedom and Antinomianism by Mike Ratliff, 5/10/22 Another aspect of our Christian Freedom or Liberty is that we
are free from the ceremonial and dietary portions of the Law.
That stuff was all fulfilled in Christ. However, we must
remember that there are weak and strong Christians. The stronger
Christian’s conscience is clear of guilt for doing things like
eating what was called unclean in the Law. However the weaker
Christian’s conscience still condemns him or her for this sort
of thing. This is where the stronger Christian should park their
freedom or liberty for the sake of their weaker brethren. Yes we
are free, but we should also should work to not offend.
(746) The
Hour that is coming by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/17/22 Throughout the Scripture we have a phrase that is used mostly
for judgment, about a reserved time or specific time toward
mankind that comes about and quickly commences. Dan. 4:33 “That
very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he
was driven from men and ate grass like oxen” Dan. 5:5-6 “In the
same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote
opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's
palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote .” In
the New Testament we also have this phrase. Matt 25:13 "Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which
the Son of Man is coming.” Meaning to be on your guard, it can
occur at any time We are continually being tested by the
hardships of the world. 1 Peter 1:6-8 “though now for a little
while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that
the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than
gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to
praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom
having not seen you love.” We will give thanks to the Lord who
was there with us during the trial and what he brought out of us
from the trial.
(747) What
is it? by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/18/22 That is what the word manna means, ‘what is it’ as it was sent
from heaven as bread to eat, for Israel to survive on it in the
desert. Today there are those who ask the same question about
the bread, the bread of God, His Word. If God can create the
universe and all its complexities out of nothing, can He
preserve his Word throughout the centuries? ‘Has God said’ is
still a viable argument used by the skeptics, agnostics, and a
believers of other gods, or no God. We have so much confusion
Since the Enlightenment period of the 17th century, the so
called ‘intellectual’ scholars who had religious beliefs (and
not) questioned the idea of Moses’ authorship of the 5 books
being the work of any single author. We still have these today
they are called redactors or minimalists, like the Jesus seminar
who nominally believe what they want and remove Scriptures from
the Bible they do not believe. We read of the manna given to
Israel, Deut. 8:3-4 “ So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger,
and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your
fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not
live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of the LORD .” Our spiritual nourishment is not
like our physical nourishment, it comes from only one place –
the Word of God, the Bible. Beware of those who use ancient
religions to determine what the Word means, or those who use
their revelations and other religious practices for your
nourishment.
(748) Was
the great tribulation in the past or is it still in the
future? by Mike Oppenheimer, 5/29/22 In Matthew 24:21 Christ declares that the "great tribulation"
will be the worst time in history (that "ever shall be.") The
persecution of both Jews Christians and others under Hitler,
Stalin, Mao who were godless atheists were in the hundreds of
millions. Even the 1940’s the Jews suffered far worse than the
Jews in A.D. 70 in the Roman invasion, so obviously this verse
was not fulfilled then. Christ then warns (v 22) that " except
those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved
." Obviously this was not fulfilled in A.D. 70, there was no
danger at that time that all flesh would be wiped out. Of course
Preterists explain this way by saying all the flesh in the Roman
vicinity, which still did not occur.
(749) Continue
In The Faith by Mike Ratliff, 5/31/22 Continue in the faith.”—Acts 14:22. Perseverance is the badge
of true saints. The Christian life is not a beginning only in
the ways of God, but also a continuance in the same as long as
life lasts. It is with a Christian as it was with the great
Napoleon: he said, “Conquest has made me what I am, and conquest
must maintain me.” So, under God, dear brother in the Lord,
conquest has made you what you are, and conquest must sustain
you. Your motto must be, “Excelsior.” He only is a true
conqueror, and shall be crowned at the last, who continueth till
war’s trumpet is blown no more.
(750) Standing
Fast Through It All by Warren B. Smith, 6/2/22 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
(Proverbs 24:10) Hostility towards those who hold fast to the
Lord Jesus Christ and the literal teachings of the Bible has
increased greatly. Biblical Christians endeavoring to stand in
their faith have been shocked and saddened at the growing
antagonism coming at them not only from the world but from
within the professing church itself. This article will attempt
to convey what Scripture tells us about remaining faithful in
the midst of this spiritual opposition—what to expect and how to
respond.
(751) Conversations
With Our Children—Part 1 by T.A. McMahon, The Berean
Call, 6/12/22 This article is about having important biblical conversations
with our children. I am the father of five children and the
grandfather of five grandchildren. The conversations I desire to
have with them include discerning whether or not my children
and/or grandchildren fully understand the gospel of Jesus
Christ, and discovering whether or not they are able to
articulate what the Bible teaches that they must believe in
order for them to be saved.
(752) Paul’s
Warnings To The Galatians Still Speak To Us by Marsha
West, 6/14/22 For Paul, the only way for sinful men and women to stand before
the Holy God in the judgment yet to come is to possess the
merits of Jesus through faith. So, it would figure that this
would be the place where Satan would direct his attacks—rarely
in frontal assaults, more often in subtle re-definition. For the
gospel as taught by Paul is “all of Christ.” But Satan will find
a way to make it “some of Christ and some of me.” Yet a gospel
that is “some of Christ and some of me,” is a different gospel
from that which Paul proclaimed, and tragically, is no gospel at
all.
(753) Choosing
God’s Love in a Broken World by Maria Kneas, 6/18/22 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.” (Matthew 24:12) That “many” does not have to include us.
As Christians, we can choose to do the opposite. We can make a
deliberate choice to become more devoted to God and more loving
with people. And more courageous about living the way that God
tells us to do—instead of caving in to the increasingly
paganized culture around us.
(754) Finding
The Truth in the age of lies by Mike Oppen heimer,
6/25/22 No one likes being lied to, whether it’s personal, in business
or by the government. We are in the time of pervasive lying,
when a lie is told so easily and boldly and the truth is told so
weakly and inefficiently. It is unusual for someone to listen
and follow one that they know is lying than one who speaks the
truth. Truth is Gods nature just as love is. This is why he tell
us to be honest, to tell the truth. Jesus came as the truth. He
is the way the truth and the life, there is no way or life
without the truth. There are those who want to change the truth,
altering it makes it into what is false, a lie. Truth needs to
be preserved, it needs to proclaimed against what is false to
counter its influence.
(755) The
Battle for God by Gary Gilley, 7/5/22 While most conservative evangelicals were resting comfortably
in the Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead, as stated in
the Nicene Creed (AD 381), a storm was brewing on the
theological horizon of others. In just the last few years,
a major war over the very nature of God has erupted with the
potential of leaving in its wake much doctrinal and spiritual
damage. For this reason, I want to discuss this debate, not
necessarily with the hope of solving all the issues (after all,
some of the greatest theological minds within Christianity are
weighing in on this subject), but at least to bring some clarity
to the discussion and perhaps to map a way forward.
Read Part
1, Part
2, Part
3, Part
4 & Part
5.
(756) Three
False Gospels That May Be Masquerading In Your Church
by The Dissenter, 7/8/22 The visible church today is undoubtedly full of false gospels.
There are, of course, the cults like Mormonism and the
Watchtower Society. There is the Roman Catholic Church, which
distorts the gospel into a form of works righteousness coupled
with idolatry. We have the Prosperity Gospel, the Word of Faith
movement, the New Apostolic Reformation, Charismania,
Arminianism (ACT addition: Calvinism), easy-believism, and so
on. Satan’s attack on the Church is relentless and unforgiving.
But there are a few, less noticeable false gospels that have
crept into even the most sound of churches over time. I would
like to go over a few of these today.
(757) Light
versus darkness by Mike Oppenheimer, 7/12/22 Most people understand the difference of good and evil as they
learned of this in their personal lives, but they have trouble
identifying it when it not personal and is directed to a wider
range of people. Scripture describes this also ass Light versus
darkness, as evil versus good. The Bibles definition of
righteousness… “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of
Gods throne (Ps.97:2) Ps 94:20-21 “ Shall the throne of
iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You?
They gather together against the life of the righteous, And
condemn innocent blood .” Hag. 2:22 'I will shake heaven and
earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy
the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.” Isa 66:1 “ Thus says the
LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. To
practice and produce evil challenges God rule from heaven of
whom God has rule over on earth. As believers we are to be as
separate as possible with things that promote sin and evil. Evil
is more easily recognizable when you know what is good, and of
God. If you do not know this you will participate in sin and
evil sooner or later. Read Light
versus darkness and The
ongoing conflict of Good versus Evil.
(758) Authentic
Christians, Apostates, And Antichrists by Mike
Ratliff, 7/18/22 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the
church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know
that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you,
not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men
will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night
and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish
each one with tears. (Acts 20:28-31 NASB) True, genuine,
authentic Christianity is exclusive. It is not a smorgasbord or
buffet of options from which men may take what they like while
rejecting the rest and still call themselves Christians. While a
statement like that may not be popular in this post-modern,
politically correct, 21st Century culture which advocates
tolerance that is sort of a give and take “conversation” in
which people with opposing views find a middle ground, it is
still the truth.
(759) Study:
Only 20% of Americans Say the Bible Is the “Literal Word of
God” by Ken Ham, 7/22/22 Meanwhile, a new high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of
“fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.”
This marks the first time significantly more Americans have
viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal
word of God. The largest percentage, 49%, choose the middle
alternative [inspired by God, not all to be taken literally],
roughly in line with where it has been in previous years.
According to this poll, 1 in 3 American adults see the Bible as
just a collection of man-made stories and writings that may, or
may not, have any value (and, when the results are filtered for
those who identify as Christian, that number is 16%!). Given how
secular our culture is, this is not surprising. And that’s why
apologetics is so important.
(760) Classic!Disingenuous
Hermeneutics by Sandy Simpson I was reminded of a comment by Rev. Gary Gilley made on our
6-DVD series called "The New Apostolic Reformation - What is it
and where is it going?". He was addressing proper exegesis
versus wrong ways to interpret the Bible. He said that
those who inject their own ideas and doctrinal methodologies on
the Bible, making it into their own image and to their own
liking, are using "Fairytale Hermeneutics". I always liked
that definition and will now add one of my own with regards to
how people lie about what the Bible says when it comes to their
own preconceived notions, upholding mistaken Biblical
interpretations. When you find yourself having to make up
false definitions and other interpretations that are not
according to the clear teaching of Scripture, you end up being a
type of false teacher. I learned long ago that if you want
to teach the Bible correctly you let it interpret itself.
You teach what Jesus, the Apostles, Prophets and Patriarchs did,
with the help of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to plug in
manmade doctrinal systems on top of Biblical truths.
(761) Can
Christians Be Spiritually Deceived, and How Can They Avoid it?
by Roger Oakland, 9/11/22 If our battle is not against flesh and blood, then why is it
that when we are in conflicts here on this Earth that flesh and
blood always show up? What are the reasons for this? Is it
possible for believers to be agents for darkness and not even
know it? Is it possible for entire organizations to be misled
because they have not kept their focus on Jesus Christ and His
Word? How is it possible for believers and even leaders to
believe they are following Jesus, when instead they are
following man? These and other questions intrigue me. Only the
Bible has the answers. And though, I am sure, not all of these
questions will be answered fully in this life, we can gain the
vital insights we need from the Word of God. The book of
Revelation, which has often been ignored for a lack of
understanding, will prove to be more and more insightful in
these last days before Jesus returns.
(762) Yes,
The Devil is Real by Jared C. Wilson – For the Church,
9/14/22 A couple of years ago, when I was doing a round of interviews
for my book The Gospel According to Satan, one question I
repeatedly encountered took be aback: “Do you really believe in
the devil?” In our post-Christian, largely irreligious age, it
certainly doesn’t go without saying. Plenty of people do believe
there’s such a thing as evil, that there are indeed actions that
are morally wrong, but fewer and fewer believe there’s any kind
of personality behind this evil.
(763) You
know my number, but do you know my name? by Mike
Oppenheimer, 9/16/22 Do you know the name of the one called antichrist, the son of
perdition? Right now no one does. But there are many that claim
they do. No, I do not mean the 7th day Adventists with the Pope
being the antichrist. These are those within the church
who have outrageous theories about bloodlines and conspiracy
texts. John wrote, Rev 13:18 “ Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the
number of a man: His number is 666.”
There are
three distinct views held by scholars and students of Scripture
regarding this period of time – Premillennialism,
Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism. These three views will be
explained further on in this article, but by word of
introduction, it’s important to realize that those who identify
as “Pre-,” “Post-”, or “A-” millennialists have divergent views
of the millennium which bear tremendously upon their systematic
approach and understanding of theology and eschatology
(the study of last things).
(765) Are
you smarter than a new believer? by Mike Oppenheimer,
9/22/22 There is a show called ‘Are you smarter than 5th grader’,
appealing to adults who would all assume the answer is yes. In
Christianity we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of the
Lord. We are to mature so that we are not moved by false winds
of doctrine, that we stand in faith and in the truth of the
word. No one expects a 10 year to act like a baby and suck their
thumb. Neither do we expect them to be as an adult. But when we
become adult we are expected to be more responsible than a child
or a teenager. My question is to those who are older in the
Lord, how well do you know the Word compared to someone brand
new in the faith? You have had so many years to learn and then
you see this newborn eating up the Word as if they have been
starving and can’t get enough. Their progress has become evident
to all; some are intimidated, even threatened, others are
jealous. Still others who have become lukewarm scorn at their
zeal.
(766) The
Bible Says ‘Do Not Be Deceived.’ Have You Opened Yourself Up
For Deception? by Rick Becker – Famine in the Land,
10/14/22
The Bible is replete with warnings about deception, warnings
that go largely unheeded. Believers are not immune to deception
and should be cognizant of the fact that the visible church is
where wolves find their prey. The Apostle Paul recognized and
warned about this threat: “I know that after my departure fierce
wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from
among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to
draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert,
remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to
admonish every one with tears” (Acts 20:29-31). Nowadays, it’s
difficult to find a believer that has not been under the
influence of some form of false doctrine. False teachers – or
fierce wolves as Paul describes them are one of the sources of
deception, but there are more. In this article, we’ll look at 3
sources of deception, and conclude with 3 safeguards against
deception.
(767) Substituting
myths for the truth by Mike Oppenheimer, 10/29/22
5 times we are warned in the New Testament about fables, which
is the word for myths. 4 of the 5 times Paul addresses this to
Timothy 1 Tim 1:4 “ Nor give heed to fables and endless
genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification
which is in faith.” Here Paul compares fables to faith, faith is
based on fact, truth that we cannot always see or apprehend. 1
Tim 1:4 To fables muthois (NT:3410). Dative case of an old word
for speech, narrative, story, fiction, falsehood. In the New
Testament only 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; Titus 1:14; 2 Tim
4:4 .”(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) In
the ancient world most of the stories, especially on religion
were myths. It was not until the Bible came along with direct
revelation, did this change. God speaking to chosen men that the
truth about God was revealed and written. 1 Tim 4:6-7 But reject
profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward
godliness.” Apparently this occurred in other cultures. These
were tales of superstition, folklore.
(768) Why
address false teaching? by Mike Oppenheimer, 11/14/22
Jesus came to give us the truth. First about our condition,
being separated from God by sin. And He gave himself as the
solution, becoming the lamb of God for our sins. Throughout his
ministry He spoke of what is the truth and what is false,
pointing out the differences between what the religious leaders
taught (their own traditions) and what the law-Moses and the
prophets and the writings wrote. Mark 8:15 “Take heed, beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees…” False teaching separates one from
the truth. It is the most serious matters for a Christian,
especially a new believer who is to be building a foundation on
the truth. Heresy is often defined as any departure from
Scripture that changes its meaning and application. It is a
teaching, doctrine or practice that goes beyond the apostles’
teachings, (what is written) or introduces something totally new
or contrary to the Scripture by a different method of
interpretation. The only way one can distinguish the true from
the false is to discern; by using the Word which is truth.
Read "Why
address false teaching" (pt. 1) and "The
warnings throughout the Bible on changing God’s Word" (pt. 2)
(769) A
Gnostic speaks by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/6/22
Joe Kovac’s seems to have a completely different take on Bible
Scripture’s that have been clear to both readers, scholars and
pastors of the Scripture for thousands of years. Unfortunately
there is lot of revisioning going on these day by those who have
a Gnostic - metaphysical view and employ it in their
interpretations. It’s unfortunate that WND website continues to
promote this false teaching. "I called to the LORD in my
distress, and he answered me. I cried out for help from deep
inside Sheol" (Jonah 2:2 CSB). "The waters surrounded me, even
to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around
my head" (Jonah 2:5 NKJV). "I was imprisoned in the earth, whose
gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me
from the jaws of death!" (Jonah 2:6 NLT). Kovacs then explained:
"Well, based on what we already talked about, what these symbols
mean, we're all inside Sheol right now. This is the land of the
walking dead. Sheol is the pit, the place of the dead, and we're
all crying to God for help from deep inside this spiritual pit."
These are not symbols for Jonah, these were actual weeds in the
sea. Are in sheol now? So when an unbeliever dies he goes to
where you are now. His answers are nonsense it would be
laughable except that this is serious error? Sheol is the place
of the dead, not of the living. The Bible speaks of people (not
land) who are not spiritually alive as dead, speaking of in
their soul and spirit. This is not what Jonah is describing.
(770) Heresy:
Antinomianism at CRN, 12/9/22
It is a remarkable fact that all the heresies which have arisen
in the Christian Church have had a decided tendency to dishonor
God and to flatter man. ~ Charles Spurgeon Antinomianism is a
heresy that has been present in various forms throughout the
history of Christianity. At its core, antinomianism is the
belief that believers are not bound by moral law, and that they
are exempt from following God’s commands. This belief is in
direct opposition to the teachings of the Bible, which clearly
state that believers are to obey God’s law and follow his
commands.
(771) The
Meaning of Christmas by A.W. Tozer, Warfare Of The
Spirit, Chapter 22
So completely are we carried away by the excitement of this
midwinter festival that we are apt to forget that its romantic
appeal is the least significant thing about it. The theology of
Christmas too easily gets lost under the gay wrappings, yet
apart from its theological meaning it really has none at all. A
half dozen doctrinally sound carols serve to keep alive the
great deep truth of the Incarnation, but aside from these,
popular Christmas music is void of any real lasting truth. The
English mouse that was not even stirring, the German Tannenbaum
so fair and lovely and the American red-nosed reindeer that has
nothing to recommend it have pretty well taken over in Christmas
poetry and song. These along with merry old St. Nicholas have
about displaced Christian theology.
(772) Snakes
in the Grass by L.B.S., 12/21/22
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the account in the Bible
where the Israelites became discouraged when they were
traversing through their forty-year stint in the
wilderness. They were unthankful for the care that God
wrought in their lives, and they focused on the things they did
not have instead of all the blessings that God provided. Because
of their unthankfulness, the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit
the people and caused their death. When they finally
acknowledged their sin, they wanted God to take away the
serpents, but God did not do that. Instead, He told Moses to set
up a pole and put a brass serpent on it, and the people who had
gotten the “sting of death” were to look at it for the venom’s
antidote. All a man had to do if he had been bitten by a
serpent was to look at that metal snake on a pole and he would
live. God provided a simple temporal salvation from certain
death, and all it required was obedience to his directive.
(773) A
true Christmas message by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/22/22
Most of the world celebrates Christmas without Christ because
they live every day without him and more often not a second
thought occurs. The celebration is about the savior being born,
God with us then and wants to be with you now. But the world
pays no attention to this, even when hearing ‘Jesus is the
reason for the season’, (he is the reason for living) and all
the traditional songs sung about him have to compete with songs
of winter, fun in the snow, friendship gatherings and other
meanings that detract played on TV and radio. Blinded by pursuit
of fun and parties which is engrained in western culture, they
buy what is advertised and avert the actual reason, they do the
very opposite that God would want them to do as self-
infatuation and gratification is pursued.
(774) Newest Heresies by Sandy
Simpson, 12/20/22 You might be surprised to find out that many of
the heresies of the early centuries are still around today.
Many have been modified to some degree, but they are mostly the
same unbiblical heretical ideas. First, let’s look at the
old heresies, who are still teaching them, then move on to newer
heretical teachings.
(775) Has the
millennium commenced? by Mike Oppenheimer, 12/27/22 First comes a Tribulation period before the Millennium.
Jesus describes this as the worst time in mankind's history,
(Mt.24:21-22) it will be brutal. Clearly we are not in the
Millennium but still in the church age that began at Pentecost
continually extending until the tribulation commences. It will
end abruptly the wrath of God fall upon the rebellious world.
The debate is whether the saints being removed before the
judgements of God fall or during them. There is prophesied to be
a covenant made between the Antichrist and Israel. Which
presupposes a Jewish State must exist before such a covenant is
signed by them. There is also the mention of a temple for the
Tribulation (Mt.24, 2 Thess.2) that he, the false messiah that
will be adored by the world will go in and declare himself God
to the world. Israel as a nation is in blindness, though
individuals do recognize Jesus as their messiah. this will
slowly change through the tribulation and will completely change
near the end of the 7 year trib after the fleeing from Jerusalem
occurs and Israel is gathered together for their national
repentance as explained in Zech 12:10. Getting back to the
millennium period of which the bible refers to 3 times as 1000
years long in the book of Revelation.
(776) Tim
Mackie Of The Bible Project Denies Literal Hell, Says It’s
Something That Humans Created by The Dissenter,
12/31/22 “It is unclear whether Tim Mackie is intentionally trying to
deceive or mislead people, but it is evident that his tendency
to deny the literal existence of a Hell created by God for the
eternal punishment of the reprobate raises concerns.” Be
cautious of a popular and up-and-coming figure in the expanding
field of Bible teachers. Tim Mackie, the founder of The Bible
Project, is a popular and rising star in the growing landscape
of Bible teachers. (ACT Note: God had already created hell long
before humans existed. 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare
angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed
them to pits of darkness, held for judgment;)
(777) Preach the
gospel by Mike Oppenheimer, 1/3/23 We live in a time where much of the church is historically and
biblically illiterate. Because of this we are doomed to repeat
some of the same mistakes made throughout history. It has been
said, those who do not study history are doomed to repeat its
mistakes. When it comes to Christianity, it is unfortunate that
many, including pastors do not know their own Christian history.
All of this departure from the truth found in the word took
years in the making and is now matured. We are reaping the bad
fruit of not hearing the Word.
(778) Inscription
“One of the Most Important Archaeological Discoveries in
Israel of All Time” by Ken Ham, 1/6/23 The Bible records real history. The people the Bible describes
really lived. The events the Bible says happened really did
happen, and the places the Bible highlights did exist. We know
this because the Bible is more than just a historical
document—it’s “God-breathed” and therefore free from error in
everything, even the smallest details. And newly interpreted
inscriptions, once again, confirm the accuracy of the
Scriptures! In 2007, archaeologists found an eighth-century BC
inscription featuring the name of King Hezekiah, one of Judah’s
good kings. Hezekiah reformed the nation and brought them back
to worshipping the one true God.
(779) Flocking
To Fables—Part 1 by T.A. McMahon, The Berean Call,
1/16/23 The questions I'm asking all have to do with strengthening a
believer in Jesus Christ. He is the Word. And therefore, He is
the author of "sound doctrine." He is "the Way, the Truth, and
the Life" (John:14:6). If we are not being strengthened in the
Lord, we are not "enduring sound doctrine." Continuing with 2
Timothy:4:4. "And they shall turn away their ears from the
truth…." The obvious thing here is that the Adversary is turning
people away from the truth. All his schemes and devices have
that as their ultimate goal. The numbers of those he has
deceived are overwhelming, not only in the world but in
Christendom, in the professing church, and as well among many
true believers. That may not be news to many Christians, so why
is it more effective today than it has been in previous times? I
believe it has to do with the addition of mysticism to Satan's
baggage of deceptions, which I'll explain. Noah Webster defined
“mysticism” in his 1828 Dictionary as the obscurity of doctrine.
He adds that it is "an immediate spiritual intuition of truths
believed to transcend ordinary understanding." In other words,
it involves taking the truth and distorting it so badly that it
becomes devoid of reason, logic, and common sense. It transcends
ordinary understanding. Truth is the antithesis of mysticism—and
that's the battleground.
(780) ‘Woke
Jesus’ Is Not Jesus At Allby Chris Queen – PJ Media,
2/7/23 “Jesus didn’t call His followers to let the government take
care of everybody. He called us to take care of others, and
churches, individuals, families, and businesses do need to step
up their game. But the second half of James’ statement is what
the proponents of “woke” Jesus forget: we’re supposed to live
our lives in a way that makes us noticeably different from the
world. And that includes working on ridding our lives of sin,
not wallowing in it.” One of the things that bugs me the most as
a Christian is when people try to politicize Jesus. Sure, there
are certain ways in which Christianity and politics can
intertwine, and I truly believe that my Christian faith informs
my political beliefs. But when people try to overlay Jesus onto
a political agenda — or vice versa — there’s a problem.
(781) Hearing
and seeing - Who you listen to matters! by Mike
Oppenheimer, 2/11/23 Paul spoke of the apostles as examples, “ But as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we
speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For
neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know,
nor a cloak for covetousness--God is witness. Nor did we seek
glory from men, either from you or from others” (1 Thessalonians
2:4-6) This is one of the ways to see if someone is genuinely
serving Gods people and doing his will, or serving themselves.
What we see all too often is the opposite today in Christianity.
These popular ‘unbiblical teachers’ are liked because of how
they speak, they are accepted because the listeners ignore the
content, they do not examine the substance by the word in
Scripture. So they are led astray because of a lack of their own
watchfulness. The speaking is to the soul not the spirit, the
emotions and not where one can spiritually grow.
(782) The
Compromised Church Is Rooted In Spiritual Blindness by
Mike Ratliff, 2/26/23 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is
clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye
is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the
light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:22-23 (LSB) Since I began this blog and became
involved with discernment ministries such as Christian Research
Network, I have become aware of a disturbing phenomenon in the
Church in America. Perhaps you have noticed it as well. The
phenomenon I am writing about is willful ignorance in our
spiritual leaders.
(783) “Finding
the Antidote for Deception”: A Response to the Recent
Lighthouse Trails Post on Calvinism by LBS, 3/16/23 The Bible commends the Bereans in Acts 17 as being “more noble”
because they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so.” When one realizes that they were proofing
the apostle Paul, it becomes a little more poignant. And the
brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto
Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)
Indeed, Paul himself also admonished people to be wary even of
him: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so
say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:
6-9) We have the antidote for deception: All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We have the antidote, and no
other “authority” should escape its scrutiny. Including
Calvinism.
(784) When
Relativism becomes the New Standard of Truth by Mike
Oppenheimer, 3/21/23 The Bible speaks in terms of Good and bad, true and false, all
in reference to God’s perfect nature. In other words God has
absolutes. But our culture has become a hodgepodge of opinions
where everything can be accepted even if it contradicts one
another. This means relativism has overruled sound judgment,
common sense and we have dispensed with logic. Relativism has
become the rule of living in our current time.
(785) The
Fear That Drives Out All Other Fears by by Gary E.
Gilley, Pastor/Teacher Southern View Chapel, 4/6/23 Fear is a normal part of life. We fear many things, and some
fears are baked into our DNA by God to protect us from true
dangers. It is not a phobia to fear jumping into a river full of
piranhas or alligators; it is a self-preservative fear. There
are hundreds of such healthy fears. Entertainer Dean Martin
said, “Show me a man who doesn’t know the meaning of the word
fear, and I’ll show you a dummy who gets beat up a lot.”[i] But
the concept of fearing God is largely foreign to our modern
minds and culture. Our emphasis today is on the love of God and
not the fear of God. Who wants a God that they fear? Surely such
a concept is something leftover from pagan superstition or
medieval days and is unfit for our sophisticated culture.
However, we must face the fact that the Bible speaks of the fear
of God directly more than 150 times,[ii] and we cannot merely
dismiss what the Bible has to say to fit our modern
sensibilities. The fear of God is an important part of life. As
Solomon draws Ecclesiastes to a close, he writes, “The
conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His
commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will
bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether
it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
(786) RESURRECTION!
by Harry Ironside, 4/9/23 He preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection . . . And the
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:18,
30-31) Apart from the great fact of the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ from the dead, we would have no Gospel to preach.
By “resurrection,” we do not mean that our Lord’s spirit
continued to live after His body died but that He was actually
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father and came forth
from the tomb in the very same body that had been impaled on
Calvary’s cross. In that body, now glorified, He sits at God’s
right hand, and in that same body, He is coming again as the
Judge of both living and dead—the saved and lost. This is what
is emphasized for us in the seventeenth chapter of the Acts of
the apostles.
(787) How
Is The Church To Treat Wolves? A Biblical Approach To False
Teachings by The Dissenter, 4/19/23 “Rebuking and correcting false teachers is not only necessary
but an essential duty of church leaders, who are responsible for
protecting the flock from dangerous doctrines and standing firm
in the truth.” In the present ecclesiastical landscape, the
danger of encountering false teachers who infiltrate our
churches and disseminate their deceptive doctrines is a growing
concern. These wolves in sheep’s clothing insinuate themselves
within the congregation, sowing confusion and division, and lead
countless souls astray with their facile interpretations of
Scripture.
(788) Truth
Amidst Turmoil: Discerning And Defending The Faith In The Age
Of Subtle Spiritual Deception by The Dissenter,
4/20/23 “These elusive doctrines, often veiled and hard to recognize,
pose a significant risk to the Church’s stability and vitality.
Subtle contemporary heresies, including the prosperity gospel,
easy-believism, and teachings that place our own virtues and
ethical actions above God’s grace and kindness, may not be
immediately apparent. However, these insidious threats demand
the Church’s unwavering vigilance and astute discernment to
safeguard its foundational beliefs.” During the early days of
Christianity, the fledgling Church faced numerous obstacles and
disagreements over its teachings and doctrines. Much of the
professing Church found itself at odds over how to interpret
scripture and understand doctrine, eventually giving rise to
what would be known officially as “heresies”—beliefs or
teachings that went against the accepted teachings of the Church.
(789) Lazarus
and the Role of Apologetics in Evangelism by Ken Ham,
4/29/23 What is the role of apologetics in evangelism? I’ve had some
Christians over the years claim that people who use apologetics
are trying to prove that the Bible is true. They insist that all
we need to do is preach the gospel. Is this true? Is apologetics
a waste of time or a distraction from sharing the gospel? Well,
first, what is apologetics? Consider this verse. But in your
hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to
make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope
that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter
3:15) The word “defense,” or in some translations “answer,” is
translated from the Greek word “apologia,” which means to give a
logical, reasoned defense of the faith. In other words, when
people ask questions about our faith, we need to be prepared to
defend it.
(790) Have
You Built Your House On The Rock? by Mike Ratliff,
5/8/23
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them,
may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24 (LSB) The liberalization of the Church is the
result of men compromising God’s truth for the sake of a false
peace. This “peace” is between them and the world. The impetus
for these compromises is a desire to not be offensive to those
whom they perceive it is desirable for their particular portion
of the visible Church to be liked or thought well of by them. In
other words, they sand off the edges and soften the hard lines
of doctrine in order to open wide their doors to those who
desire to be included in their “religion,” but who refuse to
obey the words of our Lord.
(791) Does
the Bible Just “Contain” the Word of God? by Ken Ham,
5/11/23 The point I want to make is that the Bible doesn’t just
“contain” the Word of God. It actually IS the Word of God. It is
God-breathed. All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for
training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17) And we also
thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word
of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word
of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at
work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) The sum of your
word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures
forever. (Psalm 119:160) If someone says the Bible “contains”
the Word of God, they can then justify claiming that it contains
truth but it’s not all truth. That’s what liberals do. They will
explain away miracles and claim that, while the biblical
accounts teach truth, the events didn’t actually happen as
recorded. And of course, they do that in Genesis.
(792) A
Story of Full Assurance of Salvation—”The Kindly Old
Gentleman” by Harry Ironside, An excerpt from his
book, Full Assurance: Finding Settled Peace With God, 5/16/23 Many years ago, I was holding a series of evangelistic meetings
in a little country schoolhouse some miles out of Santa Cruz,
California. One day, I was out driving with a kindly old
gentleman who was attending the services nightly but who was far
from being sure of his personal salvation. As we drove along a
beautiful, winding road, literally embowered with great trees, I
put the definite question to him, “Have you peace with God?”
(793) When
Relativism becomes the New Standard of Truth by Mike
Oppenheimer, 5/23/23 The Bible speaks in terms of Good and bad, true and false, all
in reference to God’s perfect nature. In other words God has
absolutes. But our culture has become a hodgepodge of opinions
where everything can be accepted even if it contradicts one
another. This means relativism has overruled sound judgment,
common sense and we have dispensed with logic. Relativism has
become the rule of living in our current time.
(794) “Avoid
such people” by T. M. Suffield, 7/31/23 When reading through 2 Timothy with some folk a few weeks back,
I got a number of questions about some of Paul’s instructions
that seemed very strange to my fellow readers. There are a
number of people that Paul seems to not want Timothy to
associate with. He lists some individuals but then at the start
of chapter 3 describes a long list of character traits before
saying ‘avoid such people’ in verse 5. The question as people
framed it was ‘why should we not associate with them, surely we
want them to hear the gospel?’ I answered the question briefly,
for the sake of time, explaining that you might go in thinking
you’re going to pull other people out but actually you will be
pulled in. For our own sakes we should be careful who we eat
with (1 Corinthians 10). I could have gone on to describe that
in our day the most winning ‘strategy’ for the gospel is
institutional subcultures… but I didn’t and I don’t want to
write that post today either. I’d like to draw out two threads
that the questions revealed in people’s thinking, that I suspect
are quite common. Who are these people? The assumption is that
these people need to be preached the gospel, because they’re
sinners. That’s a reasonable inference. What I think we miss is
that, most likely, these people—these lovers of self and of
money, proud, arrogant, disobedient to parents, abusive… he goes
on at length—are within the church.
(795) Walking
Wisely Through Trials by Sarah Ivill – Place for
Truth, 8/3/23 “To fear the Lord means to walk in His ways, love Him, serve
Him wholeheartedly, and obey Him (Deut. 10:12-13). But apart
from Christ this is impossible.” Suffering is incredibly
difficult, but all the more so when we don’t understand its
purpose and we’ve lost our hope in the midst of it. It’s
important, then, that in the midst of suffering we take time to
reorient our perspective by turning to Scripture. The book of
Job is particularly helpful to walk wisely through trials. It
teaches us to fear the Lord, find hope in our friendship with
God, and recognize our true foes.
(796) Should
those teaching false doctrine be contacted before the saints
can be warned? (Matthew 18:15) at The Word Like
Fire, 8/8/23 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15) So, once again, does the Bible instruct us to
first contact those who are teaching false doctrine before we
ever warn the saints? According to Jay Adams in the Handbook of
Church Discipline: Some think that if one Christian differs with
the writings or public statements of another [professing]
Christian on a point of doctrine, without rancor or any problem
between them as persons, he is wrong for stating the differences
publicly before going privately to the ‘brother’ with whom he
disagrees. That is a misconception.
(797) The
Whole Armor Of God by Mike Ratliff, 8/11/23 1 Now I, Paul, myself plead with you by the gentleness and
forbearance of Christ—I who am humble when face-to-face with
you, but courageous toward you when absent! 2 But I beg that
when I am present, I need not act so courageously with the
confidence that I consider to daringly use against some, who
consider us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but
divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds, 5 as we
tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against
the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ, 6 and are ready to punish all disobedience,
whenever your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (LSB)
Satan opposes the believer in many ways. No matter how he
attempts to subvert our faith, the method he uses is a fiery
missile. With these fiery darts he attempts to attack or
question or deny God’s character and credibility. We see this as
he works through those who hate Christianity and the God of the
Bible. Their attacks will always be to try to bring doubt into
our hearts about God’s faithfulness and our faith. If we are
successful in our service to God he will try to undermine our
victories by generating trouble that makes life difficult,
thereby temping us to forsake obedience to God’s standards and
calling.
(798) Silly
Putty Bible Study by Greg Koukl, 9/10/23 “The Holy Spirit did not mean one thing when Paul wrote to the
church at Ephesus and then something entirely different when we
read it 2,000 years later. There are no private messages in the
Bible.” 21st-century kids have cell phones, YouTube, and Xboxes.
When I was a kid, we had simpler delights. One was a handful of
malleable goo that could be pulled, twisted, or distorted into
any shape imaginable. It was called Silly Putty®. Sadly, many
Christians use their Bibles like Silly Putty®. Just add the
Spirit, and the Bible becomes putty in their hands, able to be
molded into almost anything at all.
(799) What
Every Christian Must Know About People by Gary Gilley,
9/19/23 There are very few issues that are more confusing than trying
to understand people, including ourselves. Few have credible
answers to the questions such as who we are, why are we here,
and what is our destiny? This does not mean there are not many
opinions about these questions. As a matter of fact, we are
flooded with philosophical, scientific, and psychological
theories, which keep us off-balanced and confused. But
very few people know and believe what God, our Creator, has to
say about who we are, why we are here, and where we are headed.
In the Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research, State of
Theology survey for 2022,[1] statement #15 reads, “Everyone is
born innocent in the eyes of God.” 71% of Americas agreed with
this statement, but amazingly 65% of evangelicals did as well.
That means that two-thirds of evangelical Christians do not have
a biblical worldview regarding human beings, and that filters
down to a muddled understanding of almost everything that
pertains to life. We simply cannot understand who we are, why we
are here, or our direction in life, if we don’t comprehend and
accept what the Scriptures say about people. In this article, we
will address several foundational truths that every Christian
must know about people.
(800) Most
Christians Don’t Know THIS About Babylon (Video) by
Answers in Genesis, 9/23/23 Martyn Iles presents Living in Babylon, a program about being a
Christian living in an anti-God society. He is joined by special
guest and international classical tenor Philip Webb.
(801) Preparing
for Perilous Times and Finding God’s Peace in the Midst of
Them by David Dombrowski, 10/21/23 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the
mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into
singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(Isaiah 55:12) Over the last many years since Lighthouse Trails
began, we have been contacted by many who love the Lord and were
struggling with great challenges: Some were ostracized by their
churches, which had gone Purpose Driven, contemplative, or
emergent and progressive; some had division in their families;
some had financial concerns; and others were worried about
health issues—whether their own or that of loved ones. Beyond
all of this, many have expressed a sense of uncertainty or
foreboding of what the future will bring. The Bible indicates
that in the last days perilous times shall come. As it has
become increasingly obvious, by all indications, that America is
racing toward judgment, so too is the realization that something
serious or catastrophic could easily come to our country, and we
are unprepared. Whether it be nuclear attack, economic collapse,
or natural disasters, America appears to be getting only closer
to that day.
(802) Remaining
Hopeful Through It All by Warren B. Smith, 10/28/23 To a believer, the expression “hope springs eternal” means that
our hope is always in Jesus Christ. He is our hope because He
gives eternal life to those who put their hope and faith in Him
(1 Timothy 1:1; Titus 3:5-7). The old hymn, O God Our Help in
Ages Past, states it simply and beautifully—Christian hope
springs eternal because God is our hope and our eternal home. "O
God our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our
shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home."
(803) What
Every Christian Must Know About The Holy Spirit by
Gary Gilley, 11/2/23 According to the 2022 Lifeway/Ligonier survey, fifty-nine
percent of those who identify as evangelical Christians believe
the Holy Spirit is a force but not a personal being. And this is
in light of the fact that about ninety percent claim to believe
in the Trinity composed of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the
very least, we have to admit that even the most conservative
slice of Christians is deeply confused when it comes to doctrine
in general and the Holy Spirit specifically.
(804) Timothy
Keller: Human Reason Vs. Biblical Authority by Tom
Horn, 11/21/23 “God’s true children must rely upon Biblical authority in their
presentations of the gospel of Christ. They must reject the
popular methodologies recommended by popular leaders like
Timothy Keller. The sinfulness of sinners prevents their
response to mere humanistic attempts of reason and marketing of
benefits. Sinners stand separated from God by their sin,
spiritually dead, and condemned under God’s judgment, the real
reason they need Christ. He alone saves sinners and reconciles
them to God.” “We live in a post-modern world, and postmodernism
is about relativism. My truth is your falsehood, and your
falsehood is my truth. But there is such a thing as the plain
truth.” (Barukh Binah) Barukh Binah captured succinctly one of
the pillars of postmodernism, the suspicion of truth. Current
culture proclaims the death of objective truth in accord with
postmodernism. Thus, no one can refer to an external source for
truth nor claim that (s)he possesses it. It does not exist.
(805) Guard
Your Heart With All Diligence by David Dombrowski,
11/22/23 The last few years have been an educational experience for me
regarding the nature of people’s hearts. I believe it would be
accurate to say we have entered perilous times; and where it
will take us in the immediate future, we don’t know except that
we must always keep our hope in the Lord, even as we see Bible
prophecy being fulfilled. Meanwhile, guarding (keeping) our
hearts is perhaps more vital now than it has ever been before in
our lives as we witness all that is happening in the world.
Jesus warned: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of
many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:11-12) If we look at the
context of this Scripture, we will see that Jesus is talking
about what will precede the end of the world; but it’s easy to
see that things are already astir, and just as we see in our
weather how one season changes to the next, we can see the
clouds of change approaching.
(806) The
Foundation of . . . Everything! by Ken Ham, 11/26/23 One of the points I include in some of my presentations is that
if a Christian wants to deal with any issue—yes, any issue—they
must start with the foundational information revealed in the
first 11 chapters of Genesis.
(807) Remembering
These Heretics Who Met Their End And Now Fully Understand The
Wrath Of God by The Dissenter, 12/6/23 “The false teaching that comes from the mouths of these
deceivers is merely a symptom of the unregenerate heart—for out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Scripture is
unambiguous in its condemnation of false teaching. The Apostle
Peter equates it with heresy and apostasy, and warns of its
destructive consequences, “But false prophets also arose among
the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who
will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift
destruction.” (2 Peter 2:1)
(808) What
Every Christian Must Know About The Christian Life by
Gary Gilley, 12/10/23 Our focus and concern for others rather than ourselves is the
burden of this section. It is vital to note that all we do
should be done with thankful hearts (vv. 15, 16, 17). I notice
that when I lose focus on this truth, I tend to be grumpy and
irritable. That is because my attention is now on me—not Him,
not people—me. A few years ago, I attended a pastor’s
conference. One evening, between sessions, a few of us went to a
nearby hamburger joint for supper. While there, I noticed I was
still wearing my name tag with not only my name on it but the
name of the conference. I immediately became aware that my name
tag linked me with the conference, and by extension, with
Christ. My behavior at the restaurant would reflect on Christ;
and if that was true, I needed to be a good representative. As
Christians, we must ever recognize that all we do, in word or
deed, is to be done for the glory of Christ. Such is the essence
of the Christian life.
(809) Debunking
Leftists Myths About Jesus – Jesus Was A Refugee by
The Dissenter, 12/12/23 “Let’s clear the historical air. When Joseph and Mary fled to
Egypt with Jesus, they were moving within the Roman Empire’s
borders. Egypt was not a foreign entity but a part of the same
imperial system as Israel.” In our ongoing series to debunk
leftist myths about Jesus, we’ve already dismantled several:
from the mischaracterization of Him as a socialist, a radical
environmentalist, to an advocate of modern gender ideologies.
These myths emerge from a fundamental error: overcontextualizing
the Gospel, leading to a reshaping of Jesus into a figure more
palatable to contemporary, often political leftist,
sensibilities.
(810) Christmas
... Christ In You by Jim Stitzinger – The Cripplegate,
12/25/23 Celebrate Christmas, exalt our Savior, linger long over His
word and in worship of Him. In doing so, we are “beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the
same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the
Spirit” The concerts are over and candle-light services are
nearly complete. No more caroling, food drives, corporate
holiday parties and the sound of Salvation army bells are
quickly fading. The world will soon say goodbye to “the
holidays” and will soon pivot its attention to New Year’s and
Super Bowls. The world may soon have Christmas almost in it’s
rear view mirror, but for Christ’s church the wonder and joy of
Christmas never ends. Isaiah prophesied that a virgin will
conceive and bear a Son whose name will be Immanuel, God with
us. He came to earth that day, and remains with us in every day.
The Creator of the universe stepped aside from the full display
of His majestic glory and dove headlong into His creation.
(811) What
Every Christian Must Know About The Bible by Gary
Gilley, 12/26/23 The American Bible Society just released the result of a
startling survey, in which they claimed that Bible reading
dropped dramatically in 2022, and it is unclear why. Roughly
fifty percent of American adults reported reading Scripture at
least three times a year from 2011 to 2021. In 2022, that number
declined to thirty-nine percent. That means twenty-six million
Americans stopped reading the Bible last year.[1] Even more
alarming than this drop in Bible reading is the idea that a
Bible reader is described as one who reads his or her Bible
three times per year. Is it any wonder that America is facing a
famine in the land for the Word of God and that Christians are
becoming progressively biblically illiterate by the year? More,
in the Ligonier and LifeWay Research 2022 survey, concerning the
statement, “The Bible contains helpful accounts of ancient myths
but is not literally true,” fifteen percent of evangelicals
agreed in 2020, but twenty-six percent agree in 2022. We are in
theological freefall, not just in America, but among so-called
evangelicals as well. That brings us to the all-important
question of “So what?” What does it matter whether I read the
Bible or not? I am still a pretty good person, and life is
tripping along well for me. I can get along with minimal
exposure, or none at all, with the Scriptures. The Word of God.
I want to challenge that view by revealing what every Christian
must know about the Bible. As with every one of the subjects we
are addressing in this “What Every Christian Must Know” series,
this one presents endless directions we can take. We will limit
ourselves to three truths.
(812) Hope
and Despair by Mike Ratliff, 1/4/24 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction, so that through the perseverance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4
(LSB) The role of a Christian writer primarily focusing on the
growing apostasy in the church is a tough one. As the Lord shows
us what is really going on in the “visible church” that is
Christian in name only it is easy to become overwhelmed. If we
focus on these things to the exclusion of our devotion to our
Lord we will find in short order that these battles take a heavy
toll.
(813) The
Primary Cause Of Spiritual Blindness by Mike Ratliff,
1/7/24 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he
who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8
And then that lawless one will be revealed—whom the Lord Jesus
WILL SLAY WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH and bring to an end by
the appearance of His coming— 9 whose coming is in accord with
the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false
wonders, 10 and with all the deception of unrighteousness for
those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (LSB) Read
verses 11-12 on the site. God’s truth, which is the truth and
there is no other, is true regardless of whether people believe
it or not. I pray for wisdom and discernment every morning
before I start my day. God answers this is surprising ways
sometimes. One way He does this is when I receive an email or
comment from one who is opposed to what we teach here.
(814) Debunking
Leftist Myths About Jesus: Jesus Was Married To Mary Magdalene
by The Dissenter, 1/11/24 “Historically, the claim of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene
is as dry as the desert when it comes to credible evidence. It’s
a narrative that first reared its bizarre head centuries after
Jesus’ time, popping up in Gnostic writings.” In the
ever-turning gears of leftist propaganda, a particularly raunchy
and perverse narrative has been force-fed to the public—the
claim that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. This assertion,
plucked more from the realms of sensational fiction than any
historical or scriptural reality, is played out like clockwork
in various media and “scholarly” circles. It’s essentially a
hack job on the gospel, a poison seeping into the foundational
truths of Christianity.
(815) The
promises of the Land to Israel by God by Mike
Oppenheimer, 1/14/24 The Bible is filled with these main promises and many others
connected to Israel as a people and a nation. After the nation
is formed and led out from Egypt by God and Moses. Deuteronomy
29:13: “to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be
your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deut. 7:6-10: “For you are a holy
people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to
be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the
peoples on the face of the earth” (this is repeated in Exodus
19:5; Deut. 14:2; Ps 135:4-5). Is. 65:9 “I will bring forth
descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my
mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my
servants live.” Clearly the word ‘chosen’ is applied to the
Hebrews (the Jewish people of the covenant), they did not apply
this themselves.
(816) When
relativism becomes the new standard of truth by Mike
Oppenheimer, 1/20/24 The Bible speaks in terms of Good and bad, true and false, all
in reference to God’s perfect nature. In other words, God has
absolutes. But our culture has become a hodgepodge of opinions
where everything can be accepted even if it contradicts one
another. This means relativism has overruled sound judgment,
common sense and we have dispensed with logic. Relativism has
become the rule of living in our current time. We are in the
time of secularization of the church. Society rejects the wisdom
of the Lord. In fact they and the Church rarely hear it from
preachers on TV or radio. In like manner many Churches
substitute human reasoning for spirituality. They adopt worldly
business concept’s thinking it will yield the same success it
has in the business world. People are calculated as numbers to
prove a program works, instead of their growth of spiritual
maturity by hearing the Word and living by it. What have we
become?
(817) For
The Gate Is Small And The Way Is Narrow That Leads To Life,
And There Are Few Who Find It by Mike Ratliff, 1/23/24 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No
longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what
his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all
things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to
you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you
that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would
abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may
give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it
hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its
own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out
of the world, because of this the world hates you. John 15:14-19
(LSB) A deep study of the book of Acts reveals many interesting
things about the spread of Christianity as the Apostles
obediently made disciples wherever they went. This spread was
always accompanied by persecution.
(818) Refuting
the claims of The ARAMAIC A primacy (the Pershitta) by
Mike Oppenheimer, 1/31/24 The earliest versions of the New Testament in Aramaic
(Peshitta) date to the 4th-5th century, Not before. The Aramaic
excludes the second Letter of Peter, the second and third
Letters of John, the Letter of Jude, and the Revelation of
Christ to John. Which makes it problematic in two specific
areas, the date of writing and the crucial content that is
missing for anyone to claim this is the original language the
Bible was written in.. In 100-160 AD Justin Martyr quotes all 4
Gospels, the book of Acts and the epistles of Paul and
Revelation. So these could not have been in Aramaic, but Greek.
(819) Countering
Woke Culture with Biblical Truth by Ken Ham, 2/18/24 How can you make your families and churches “woke-proof”?
Wokeness, and everything that stems from this philosophy, is
incredibly destructive to people, to families, and to
communities. But there’s a simple solution—and it starts in
Genesis! For today’s blog post, enjoy this insightful letter
from our Executive CEO Martyn Iles: The person who understands
and believes Genesis 1–11 is woke-proof. Such is the enduring
relevance of Genesis. It has the blueprints every generation
needs. Consider the focal points of woke ideologies—race, LGBTQ,
identity, environmentalism, marriage, gender, abortion, truth,
power—time and time again, the answers are in Genesis. This is
because “woke” culture is an attack on the way God ordered and
designed creation.
(820) Refuting
the claims of The ARAMAIC A primacy (the Pershitta) by
Mike Oppenheimer, 3/4/24 The earliest versions of the New Testament in Aramaic
(Peshitta) date to the 4th-5th century, Not before. The Aramaic
excludes the second Letter of Peter, the second and third
Letters of John, the Letter of Jude, and the Revelation of
Christ to John. Which makes it problematic in two specific
areas, the date of writing and the crucial content that is
missing for anyone to claim this is the original language the
Bible was written in.
New
Sandy Simpson Messages in Books, CDs &
DVDs
NEW
BOOK!
Reverse Paradigm Shift by Sandy Simpson
We live in a topsy-turvy
world of opposing ideas.It is easy to get lost and overwhelmed.We as Christians often don’t realize how much we
have been diapraxed by the world, the flesh and the devil.Our paradigm has
been altered to such a degree that, without the solid
foundation of Scripture, we are often set adrift without
the anchor God has provided us.Our paradigm is our worldview, our understanding
of reality.Without
the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the written eternal
Word, we really have no hope of understanding reality, our
cultures, or our lives.I have written this book to clue the reader into
some of the issues that surround the modern born-again
believer and how to reverse the shift that has
exponentially changed our perspective in some cases.Fortunately, in
the foreknowledge of our Lord, He provided us with a
roadmap to navigate our fallen world.We don’t need a new map, as Emergent Church
advocates claim.We
need the tried and true map of the ages.There is “nothing new under the sun”.There have always been false prophets and false
teachers who are there by the will of the enemy to mislead
and ultimately destroy the faith of many.We are clearly living in the Apostasy foretold in
the Bible that has been growing preceding the appearance
of the Antichrist.We
need to carefully test ourselves to be sure we are in the
Faith, and then hold on to the hope we have in Christ.